GLASS, A SHORT HISTORY

Glass - The beginning

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No-one knows exactly when or where glass was first made. Glass appears to have been produced as far back as the second millennium BC by the Egyptians and perhaps the Phoenicians. Yet evidently it originated in Mesopotamia, where pieces of well made glass have been found, believed to date from the 3rd millennium BC.

Glass was a lot less common back then than it is today. It was very precious, and in the Bible glass has been compared to gold (Job 28:17). It was very much later, around the end of the first century BC that glass blowing revolutionised glass production. By blowing through a hollow tube, the experienced glass blower can produce intricate and symmetrical shapes out of the molten glass and skilled decorators using diamond impregnated cutting tools can then cut the required designs and intricate patterns into the glass.

The raw materials for making glass consist of mainly silica (sand). To melt the sand to make glass, the furnace has to reach a temperature of approximately 3600 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of the presence of iron in sand, glass with a greenish colour mostly results, so only sand of exceptional purity, white sand, is sought.

Glass - The later years

In the 13th century, Venice became a major glass-making centre. The Venetians provided the link between the ancient and modern glass making arts. Venetian glass was noted for its brilliance and for its light imaginative forms. By the 15th century, Venice had become the major producer of glassware in Europe.

England had little or no importance until the 17th century when many French glass-makers established centres in London, Bristol, The Midlands and Newcastle upon Tyne. The English specialised in glass cutting as opposed to etching which was popular in Europe.

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"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell