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As with many works of art, it is not always easy to determine whether a particular glass item is authentic Murano glass, and it is even harder to attribute it to a particular master. Over the centuries, there were so many trends and techniques in Murano glass that the spectrum of possibilities of what a genuine Murano glass item may look like is very wide. From imitations of classical antiquity to enameled glass, glass made to look like chalcedony or other semi-precious stones, glass with filigree and engravings, Murano masters made miracles out of glass for 800 years. These days, one can only come across Murano glassware from the Middle Ages in museums such as the famous Glass Museum in Murano. However, Murano glass from more recent times such as 19th and 20th century, often made by famous masters, can often be found in ordinary people’s possessions.
If you come across an item that you think may be Murano glass, first of all look for any labels, etchings, stamps or signs stating the origin of the item or name of the glass-making company. If you find any, and it contains names like Salviati, Seguso, Barovier, Toso, Moretti, Mandruzzato, Venini, Zanetti, Nason, Signoretto, Barbini, Bianconi, Cenedese or words like “Vetro Murano”, “Vetreria Artistica….Murano”, “Maestri Vetrai Murano” or similar, you are probably holding a genuine Murano glass article. If there are no labels or etchings, identification is more complicated and has to be made on the basis of the look and glassmaking technique alone. The best approach in this case is to take several high quality photos of your article from various viewpoints and send them to experts for identification and attribution. GlassOfVenice.com has been dealing with Murano glass for many years and can help you with such requests for free.
Murano glass is glass in a chemical sense of the word. However, Murano glass is as different from, say, the glass in your window panes, as Rembrandt paintings are different from an empty canvas. Murano glass is created only on the island of Murano, located within the borders of the city of Venice in Northern Italy. This glass is made from silica, soda, lime and potassium melted together in a special furnace at a temperature of 1500°C to reach a liquid state. Gold or silver foil are often added to the glass mixture, along with such minerals as copper for sparkles, zinc for white color, cobalt for blue, manganese for violet, and so on. The mixture is then mouth-blown and/or hand-crafted by master glassmakers using special techniques and basic tools, many of which have been developed in the Middle Ages and changed little since then. This method of glass-making results in unique creations with rich coloring and beautiful, sometimes surreal, patterns and shapes, deserving to be called “works of art”. Even though beautiful glassware has also been created in other places around the world, none of the glassware still being produced has such rich history and so much artistic value as Murano glass.
Murano glass is hand-crafted by masters working the heated-up liquefied glass mass using special centuries-old techniques, and then cooling it down till it solidifies to form a specific pattern within a certain shape. For this reason, when an article made of Murano glass breaks, it is not possible to fix it except for gluing it together. Gluing may work if the item has a smooth break line and broke into only two or three pieces as opposed to many small ones.
If, based on the above conditions, you feel that it may be possible to glue the item back together, first of all you need to buy the right glue. We recommend using E-6000® glue for Murano glass, or any glass for that matter. This is a very strong waterproof and flexible adhesive once it dries. The only downside is its long drying time- make sure to let it dry for 24 to 72 hours after application. With this glue, apply a thin coat to both glass surfaces that you need to attach, wait ten minutes and strongly press the surfaces together. Then put the item aside and let dry. Make sure you use this glue only in an area that has adequate ventilation.
If your Murano glass broke in such a way that it can’t be glued together, or if it just cracked inside its frame (like may be the case with Millefiori pendants), your best option may be to try to find a replacement. Regardless of whether the Murano glass item was modern or vintage, purchased recently or long ago, there are companies specializing in Murano glass that will be willing to work with you to find a replacement. GlassOfVenice.com is one such company, which accepts custom requests and is often able to deliver the specified products.
This question is by far the most common one among those we receive. And this does not come as a surprise to us, since so many counterfeits have flooded the market in recent years, especially with the advent of the World Wide Web. Most Murano glass lovers appreciate this glass not only for its beauty but also for its historic, artistic, and sometimes sentimental value. So understandably they want to be sure they are buying the real thing rather than some cheap imitation. Here are the things to look for:
1) Look at the item itself (or its photos if buying online)
Does the item appear to be hand-made with slightly uneven surface or texture, or perhaps tiny bubbles insight glass? Are the photos clear and professional showing the surface and texture of the glass? Can the photos be enlarged so you can clearly see the patterns? Are the colors bright and rich? Does the item seem to glow from within? Does the description say “Murano Glass” (and not “Murano-style” or similar)? Does it talk about real gold or silver being used during production of the glass? You want to be able to answer YES to ALL of these questions when you are looking for a genuine article. Always look for the evidence of the hand-crafted nature of the items, good photos, rich colors and specific descriptions.
2) Look at what else comes with the item
Does the seller offer a certificate of authenticity stating the origin and the production process of the item? Does the certificate display any text in Italian language? Is special packaging offered with the item? Does the packaging look attractive and is it of good quality? Again if the answer is always YES you are on the right track.
3) Look at the seller
Is the seller reputable? Does it share information about itself? Does it specialize only in Murano glass? Does the seller demonstrate good knowledge of Murano glass industry, techniques, production process, and history? Does it possess Italian background, education, or extensive travel experience to Italy? Does it offer a generous Return/Exchange policy? If it’s a website, is it professional-looking? Is there a real business address and phone number listed on the site? Look out for the addresses in Asia or in developing countries as this often is a counterfeit warning sign. Is it merely a large web portal selling lots of items from all sorts of sellers? Are any client testimonials or product reviews readily available on the site? Answering YES to these questions indicates the the seller is likely to sell genuine Murano glass. On the flip-side, if the seller also sells lots of other cheap-looking jewelry and accessories, is known as a large seller of cheap household names, can’t tell you much about Murano or Murano glass, does not seem to have any links to Italy, or has a shady website, you are probably looking at counterfeits.
4) Look at the assortment of Murano glass products the seller offers
Does the seller offer a wide range of Murano glass products that includes jewelry, home decor items and high-end Murano glass items such as vases, chandeliers, or art glass? Does it offer any Millefiori items? If so, is there a large variety of them and are they of good quality, displaying intricate patterns with many mosaic pieces in them, and rich colors? Millefiori is one of the most difficult Murano glass techniques and is harder to fake than some other ones. Does the seller offer to work with you on procuring any custom items or items not in their inventory? Again, if you answered YES to these questions you can be reasonably sure you are dealing with the seller who offers genuine Murano glass.
In general, trust your instinct and common sense when buying Murano glass. If something tells you “beware”, try to find out as much information as possible from the seller, and if you are still not satisfied, just steer clear from it and look elsewhere.
In our long careers in Murano glass and many trips to Venice we have seen lots of Murano glass items from smaller rings and pendants all the way to large sculptures, chandeliers, mirrors, bathroom sinks, and even Christmas tree. But one thing we have never seen or even imagined in Murano glass is shoes.
Amazingly enough, we recently learned, now one can find and even buy and wear real Murano glass shoes! And if you like that idea, you do not even need to travel to Italy. Master shoemaker Pasquale Fabrizio who owns famous Pasquale Shoe Repair in Los Angeles that serves lots of celebrities and Hollywood stars has just created a line of Murano glass shoes fit for a real-life princess. These amazing shoes were introduced to the world (or rather to a selected few celebrities) at a champagne reception on January 29, 2010 on the rooftop patio of Pasquale Fabrizio’s shoe studio called “Q by Pasquale”. This proves that there really is no limit to Murano glass art and that, far from being a thing of the past, it holds a dinstinctive fashionable place in modern life.
At GlassOfVenice our goal is two-fold: we want to be the best Murano glass shopping destination, and to share our love of Venice by educating our existing and prospective customers about Murano glass, Venice, and Venetian way of life. In our effort to pursue these goals, we are happy to announce the launch of our new Blog titled “Everything about Venice and Murano Glass”.
In this blog, we will help you put Murano glass into context and recognize its special value by not only sharing what we know about its past and present, but also by immersing you in the magic of its surroundings and the aura of Venice. In addition, we will use this Blog to communicate important information and news about our website features and products, as well as to answer the questions that we frequently get from our customers.
We sincerely hope that our new Blog will serve as a good addition to our online store and will be a helpful source of information for anyone interested in Murano Glass and Venice. We invite you to be an active reader and to make comments to our posts. Please visit our Blog often and let us know how we can improve it. We always value your feedback and strive to do everything we can to enhance your experience in our virtual store.
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