The production technique and the history of the Livellara company are closely related to the processing of Murano glass, since the firm collaborated for years with Conterie e Cristallerie Muranesi—later acquired—during the period of the two world wars. In making glass products, in fact, the approach taken is much more handicraft than the traditional production processes for making crystal, and is strongly linked to inspirations and know-how gained from experiences with companies on the Venetian island. That is why today we want to delve into a world closely related not only to the name, but also to the final quality of Livellara collections.

See also: Tips for caring for porcelain safely

Murano glass, a bit of history

The oldest written reference to this ancient art dates back to 982 AD, and it is a deed of a donation; this suggests that glass was being made even earlier. Instead, documents that report on the existence of furnaces in the Rio dei Vetrai area on the island of Murano date from the late 1200s.

Starting in the 15th century, processing techniques were gradually refined, thanks to the intuition of glass artist, Angelo Barovier. In those days, glass-making workshops sought to perfect their work even by means of spying to steal the secrets of other furnace operators. That practice forced the Venetian Republic to protect original glassmaking techniques with time-limited privileges, at the end of which, however, they would be in the public domain. Instead, to restrict the emigration of master glassmakers, in 1605 the Golden Book, containing the names of those belonging to the Magnificent Community of Murano, was published.

Techniques for making Murano glass

In keeping with Mediterranean tradition, this glass is sodium glass, meaning that sodium carbonate is added to silica (the sand that turns into glass through fusion) to allow the fusion process to take place at lower temperatures. The glass is mixed in the evening and prepared overnight, with the addition of stabilizers, dyes/bleaching agents and opaquing ingredients; the raw materials melt at 1400°C, but glass remains pliable up to the temperature of 500°C.

Glass is traditionally blown by two processes, known as “imprint” and “lampwork glass”; since the latter is intended for working small objects, we will focus on the former.

Firstly, liquid glass is collected with a long steel tube (“blowtorch”) by rotation, and when it becomes stable, it is transferred to a steel table called a Marver, rolling it on the table to give it a cylindrical shape. Next, the process varies according to production needs: with large objects, the blowtorch is put back into the furnace to pick up more glass, or the mass is passed through another reheating furnace to keep it malleable, or alternatively, it is made to interact with other molten glass compounds to obtain precise color combinations. To produce goti or furnace drinking glasses, while the glassy mass is still at a high temperature, it is slid into an agglomerate of colored glass powder. From here, it is blown inside the blowtorch to shape the mass and achieve the desired shape, and with a glass rod called a prop the glass made is separated from the metal support; the detached section is heated, and using iron pliers, the blown sphere is opened to define the furnace glass.

If you have always been fascinated by Murano glass, you can look at our collections after requesting catalogs. Request Livellara catalogs now.

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