Glossary of glass art terms
Encyclopedia
A glossary of terms used in Glass art
Glass art
Studio glass or glass sculpture is the modern use of glass as an artistic medium to produce sculptures or three-dimensional artworks. Specific approaches include working glass at room temperature cold working, stained glass, working glass in a torch flame , glass beadmaking, glass casting, glass...
- Cane, rods of glass with color, either single or multiple (see also twistie)
- Cast, Glass formed by pouring hot glass into a mold (sand casting) or kiln-casting using the cire perdue (lost wax) method. Any use of hot glass where the metal is poured out or off of a tool without being cut or broken.
- Cullet, broken or waste glass suitable for remelting
- FritFritFrit is a ceramic composition that has been fused in a special fusing oven, quenched to form a glass, and granulated. Frits form an important part of the batches used in compounding enamels and ceramic glazes; the purpose of this pre-fusion is to render any soluble and/or toxic components insoluble...
, crushed glass often melted onto other glass to produce patterns and color
- Incalmo, the grafting or joining together, while still hot, of two separately blown glass [bubbles] to produce a single [bubble].
- Lampwork, alternate name Flamework, the technique of forming glass using a hand held heat source, formerly lamps, more usually today a gas blow torch, to shape glass rods and manipulate them with tongs, forceps, knives and other small tools.
- Latticino, Italian decorative glassblowingGlassblowingGlassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
technique. Latticino refers to any glass piece created using colored glass canes.
- LehrLehr (glassmaking)A lehr is a temperature-controlled kiln for annealing objects made of glass. The name derives from the German verb lehren meaning to teach and is cognate with the English lere also meaning to learn or acquire knowledge of ....
, a specialized, temperature-controlled kiln for annealing glass.
- Liuli, ancient Chinese glass art
- Mandrel, metal rod used to construct a glass bead around. When cooled and removed, the space occupied by the mandrel creaes the hole through the bead.
- Marver, a tool used in glassblowingGlassblowingGlassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
A marver is a large flat table. The glass piece is rolled across is surface. It is used to not only shape the glass, but to remove heat as well. The rapid absorption of heat by the marver creates a stronger skin (surface tension) than the use of a wooden tool. Marver is derived from the word "marble." Marble was originally used in the construction of this specialized table. Modern marvers are made of steel, typically stainless steel.
- Millefiori, an Italian term (a thousand flowers) describing glass decorated with slices of colored canes embedded in clear molten glass, which produces distinctive decorative patterns on glassware, often flower-like designs.
- MurrineMurrineMurrine is an Italian term for colored patterns or images made in a glass cane that are revealed when cut in cross-sections. Murrine can be made in infinite designs—some styles are more familiar, such as millefiore...
, Italian term for patterns or images made in a glass cane (long rods of glass) that are revealed when cut in cross-sections
- Pate de verre, a paste of ground or crushed glass, and the technique of casting this material into a mold; also applied to a more general range of cast-glass objects.
- PruntPruntA prunt is a small blob of glass fused to a piece of glass. Prunts are applied primarily as decoration, but also help provide a firm grip in the absence of a handle.- Types of prunt :raspberry prunt:A prunt impressed to the shape of a raspberry...
, a small blob of glass fused to a piece of glass, often impressed with a pattern or stamp
- Reticello, Italian decorative glassblowingGlassblowingGlassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
technique. This involves the merging of two latticino bubbles in which he straight canes were twisted in opposite directions. Once merged, the opposingly twisted canes cross each other creating a net like pattern. If done the traditional way, small air bubbles will be trapped in a grid pattern between the crossing canes.
- Rod, a rodRod (geometry)In geometry, a rod is a three-dimensional, solid cylinder....
of glass used as a raw material in forming and fusing glass
- Twistie, a cane formed out of different coloured glass twisted together - also known as zanfirico cane
- Zanfirico, Italian decorative glassblowingGlassblowingGlassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
technique involving intricate patterns of colored glass canes arranged and twisted to comprise a pattern within a new single glass cane. These new patterned canes are then used to create a glass work.