The History of Glass Making and Blowing - Part 1
The Beginning of glass making Glass has been used for a very long time, even in the Stone Age.
At the time, people found glass by accident.
Glass is formed naturally when rocks melt in high temperature; two main forms of natural glass occur when lightning strikes sand, or when volcanic eruptions happen and then the area cools down and solidifies rapidly.
So unless such natural events had happened, people could not find glass.
Natural glass is green or bluish green in color because of iron impurities in the sand.
Colored glass can be made by adding metals and mineral oxides, but such skills have developed only later in the history of civilization.
While it is not known exactly when people first began to make glass themselves, ornamental glass in forms of beads, seals, and decorations have been found from around 2500BC and glass making was first recorded in ancient Rome, Egypt, and Syria.
Glass was used to produce glazes on pots and vases.
After 1500 BC, Egyptians began to produce glass pots and vases.
Glass was rare and hard to make; thus, it was considered to be as valuable as jewels, and only the ruling classes could afford them.
Syrian Glassblowing: the Beginning of Free-blowing Between 27 BC and AD 14, Syrian craftsmen began the art of glassblowing.
Long thin metal tubes were used for the blowing process and this technique has remained almost unchanged since then.
The function of these blowpipes was to make glass production much easier, faster, and cheaper.
With this tool, air is puffed into a molten portion of glass at the end of the blowpipe to make the glass into a desired shape.
It is also a widely used method for glass-forming these days.
Easier production of glass led to widespread use by the common people.
During this period, glass makers also learned how to make transparent glass and how to decorate glass, so indeed this was a time of growth and prosperity for the glass making tradition.
Roman Influence in Glass Making Romans spread glass making techniques through their conquests and trades.
Glass works were found in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, and as far as China thanks to their influences.
At first, Romans used glass mainly for thick-walled vessels.
Their method of glass making focused originally on cast glass.
The vast majority of manufacturing techniques was still time-consuming, and glass remained expensive and a symbol of luxury.
However, during the Pax Romana after the civil war, glass making flourished in the stable political environment.
Gradually glass makers produced vessels with thinner walls, and the process also became quicker.
Soon, glassblowing became more common instead of molding.
In the process, glass became a commonly available material and a wider variety of people began to use it.
The first glass mosaics appeared and glass windows were also used under the Roman reign for the first time.
The expansion of the empire vastly expanded the market, and raw glass was produced by heating and fusing silica and soda.
Romans are even said to have recycled glass.
glass making capitals such as Alexandria and Köln emerged, which became the center of Roman glass making development.
The history of glass goes on in part 2.
At the time, people found glass by accident.
Glass is formed naturally when rocks melt in high temperature; two main forms of natural glass occur when lightning strikes sand, or when volcanic eruptions happen and then the area cools down and solidifies rapidly.
So unless such natural events had happened, people could not find glass.
Natural glass is green or bluish green in color because of iron impurities in the sand.
Colored glass can be made by adding metals and mineral oxides, but such skills have developed only later in the history of civilization.
While it is not known exactly when people first began to make glass themselves, ornamental glass in forms of beads, seals, and decorations have been found from around 2500BC and glass making was first recorded in ancient Rome, Egypt, and Syria.
Glass was used to produce glazes on pots and vases.
After 1500 BC, Egyptians began to produce glass pots and vases.
Glass was rare and hard to make; thus, it was considered to be as valuable as jewels, and only the ruling classes could afford them.
Syrian Glassblowing: the Beginning of Free-blowing Between 27 BC and AD 14, Syrian craftsmen began the art of glassblowing.
Long thin metal tubes were used for the blowing process and this technique has remained almost unchanged since then.
The function of these blowpipes was to make glass production much easier, faster, and cheaper.
With this tool, air is puffed into a molten portion of glass at the end of the blowpipe to make the glass into a desired shape.
It is also a widely used method for glass-forming these days.
Easier production of glass led to widespread use by the common people.
During this period, glass makers also learned how to make transparent glass and how to decorate glass, so indeed this was a time of growth and prosperity for the glass making tradition.
Roman Influence in Glass Making Romans spread glass making techniques through their conquests and trades.
Glass works were found in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, and as far as China thanks to their influences.
At first, Romans used glass mainly for thick-walled vessels.
Their method of glass making focused originally on cast glass.
The vast majority of manufacturing techniques was still time-consuming, and glass remained expensive and a symbol of luxury.
However, during the Pax Romana after the civil war, glass making flourished in the stable political environment.
Gradually glass makers produced vessels with thinner walls, and the process also became quicker.
Soon, glassblowing became more common instead of molding.
In the process, glass became a commonly available material and a wider variety of people began to use it.
The first glass mosaics appeared and glass windows were also used under the Roman reign for the first time.
The expansion of the empire vastly expanded the market, and raw glass was produced by heating and fusing silica and soda.
Romans are even said to have recycled glass.
glass making capitals such as Alexandria and Köln emerged, which became the center of Roman glass making development.
The history of glass goes on in part 2.