Murano glass is a famous product of the Venetian island of Murano.
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Located off the shore of Venice, Italy, the city has been a commercial port as far back as the 7th century. Murano glass is a beautiful medium of art and comes with an ancient history of innovation. By the 10th century, the city had become well known for its glassmakers.
It is believed that this was done out of fear of the high temperature firing done by glassmakers, a danger in the largely wooden city of Venice.
The glassmaking community of Murano became highly important to Italian trade and prized for its beauty.
The process of making Murano glass is rather complex. Most Murano glass art is made using the lampworking technique. The glass is made from silica, which becomes liquid at high temperatures.
As the glass passes from a liquid to a solid state, there is an interval wherein it is soft before it hardens completely, allowing the artisan to shape the material.
Sources for the information text: mostly Murano glass @ Wikipedia and also What is Murano glass @ Wise Geek dot com. Photos found on the web.
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