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them with enamelled colors and gilding applied with paintbrushes. Because the enamelling
process requires a second high-temperature firing to seal the colors on the exterior surface,
putting the vessel at risk of deforming, it is a particularly challenging technique.
Incised or engraved glass
Incised or engraved glass involves creating a fine-lined figural or decorative design on the
glass, an extremely paintstaking art whose effects are particularly beautiful given the del-
icacy of Venetian glass. Unlike thicker glass from Bohemia and elsewhere, Venetian en-
gravers cannot cut far into the thinly blown glass of Murano; instead, the designs lie right
on the surface. Today engravers use diamond-point wheels as well as other tools made with
different metals and hard stones to create lines of various widths and levels of opacity.
Mirrors
It is commonly accepted that a Frenchman named Master Robert from Lorraine introduced
plate glass to Murano, thanks to a permit from the Venetian government that allowed
Master Robert to stay and work on Murano for a period of six months in 1493. In addition
to introducing the idea of plate glass to replace leaded bottle glass in windows, plate glass
also began to be used for mirrors, replacing the metal ones that Italians used prior to that
time. In 1507, the Venetian Council of Ten granted permission for mirrors to be made on
Murano. The process involved glassblowers, metal workers who prepared the tin and mer-
cury backing, and a craftsman who fused the metal and glass to finish the mirror. The art
of engraving or incising mirrors continues today, and these ornate mirrors are enjoying re-
newed vogue among today's interior designers.
Vetro pezzato
In
vetro pezzato
or “pieced glass,” large bits of different colored glass are melded together,
giving the appearance of a patchwork quilt.
Famous Glassmaking Enterprises
A few of the existing Murano glassmaking enterprises have long-standing traditions. Here
are some of the most well-known.
Barovier & Toso
A glassmaker named Angelo Barovier is mentioned in historical documents from Murano
starting in the 1420s. His contemporaries credited him with developing several innovations
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