VOCATIONAL TRAINING
In the world of glassmaking there are no schools, just teachers: the master glassmakers are the custodians of knowledge that is passed on from generation to generation, unique teachings and experiences transmitted orally and through gestures. They are the custodians of its secrets.
At the time of the Republic of Venice, glassblowing was so important that blowers were granted immunity and special privileges. However, they were forced to stay in the Serenissima and never leave its territory. To keep their knowledge confined to Murano and Venice.
Over the past centuries, master glassblowers have emerged from confinement, but have never abandoned tradition, staying true to a craft that is poised between artistic sensitivity and manual skill. Only those who strike the perfect balance between these two elements are destined to become master glassblowers.
WORK AT THE FORNACE
Glassblowing is an art: it takes dedication, patience and constant practice.
The master glassmakers start work at dawn, testing glass strength. If it doesn’t break, they can go on with their task and start creating objects.
They use the same tools as those employed in ancient times. Each master has his own. The most frequently used tool is the blowpipe: air is blown into the molten mass of glass, which is then rapidly shaped with tweezers, rods and shears. A choreographic series of rapid and skilful gestures that is sure to impress the viewers, leaving them speechless, in awe.
The master creates, aided by his assistants, but at the same time he consults with the designers of each piece, artists who have been called from all over the world to inspire his gestures of creation. Each project is unique in its artistic contamination: this is the quintessence of VENINI.
SPECIALIZATION
Glassmaking is an art form for a few. Some of its techniques are so complex that master glassmakers have to specialize in them, focusing on one or the other depending on their skill, natural inclinations and talents.
The excellence
The excellence of VENINI stems from a unique combination of Murano’s exclusive traditional techniques –known only to the most skillful master glassmakers – the creative experimentation of artists from all over the globe, and an unusual selection of colours. At the Fornace (Kiln), nothing is left to chance.
A RICH PALETTE OF 125 HUES
VENINI’s ample colour palette is absolutely unique, unrivalled in the Murano glassmaking scene. A historic legacy, priceless and inimitable.
Each of these 125 colours has its own recipe; it starts off from there and then evolves into a variety of ever-changing shades. The creativity that guides this quest for new hues is also reflected in the choice of names: Straw Yellow, Grass Green, Horizon, Aquamarine, Grape, Adriatic Sea, Tea, Amber Yellow and Nocturne. These are just a few of the exclusive and evocative colours of VENINI, which draw inspiration from Venice and nature
AT THE ORIGIN OF EVERY CREATION
Glass is mainly composed of ultra-pure silica sand and metal oxides, which are variably combined together so as to create extremely different effects in terms of colour and colour intensity.
During the evening, this compound is melted at extremely high temperatures in special containers called crucibles, which are contained in the furnaces. Here, minerals turn into molten magma that has its own specific colour. Glass is then fired, a long process that lasts all night, with raw materials being heated in the furnace at temperatures of approximately 1,400 degrees Celsius. At dawn, molten glass is ready to be shaped by the master glassblowers.
VIVID COLOURS
It’s not just the Fornace (kiln) that determines the colour of the glass, it also depends on the external temperature and moisture present in the ambient air, as well as on the process used to fire glass. All these elements can influence hue and gradient shading.
Any change or uneven effect in hue is not a defect in the glass, it is part of its character. It makes every colour unique and every creation special
THE TECHINQUES OF GLASS
This is the cold-crafting technique that most challenges the skill and delicacy of the master glassmaker.
The distinctive characteristic of Beaten glass is that its surface is “sculpted” by hand with a grinding wheel. This creates countless small and apparently irregular marks on the glass surface.