**Group 1: Historical Aspects of Glassblowing**
– Glassblowing invented in the 1st century BC
– Indians made glass blown beads 2,500 years ago
– Glass beads used in trade in Africa and the Indian Ocean
– Roman glass found in various regions
– Glass production in Western Europe during the Roman era
– Roman glass artifacts found in Pompeii
– Hellenistic and Early Roman glass discovered in Sicily
– Glass finds in Slovenia and neighboring areas
– Medieval glass artifacts found in Europe
– Nøstetangen Glassworks historical site
**Group 2: Techniques and Methods of Glassblowing**
– Free-blowing involves short puffs of air into a molten gather
– Mold-blowing inflates glass into a carved mold for shape and texture
– Marvering process for shaping glass
– Blowing air into molten glass to create bubbles
– Using punty for shaping and transferring glass
– Applying patterns with cane and murrine
– Lampworkers manipulate preformed glass rods
– Mold-blowing technique introduced by glassworkers
– Production of blown flagons, jars, and perfume bottles with specific decorations
– Abundance of blue-green glass vessels found in local workshops
**Group 3: Tools and Equipment in Glassblowing**
– Major tools include the blowpipe, punty, bench, marver, and blocks
– Additional tools used are jacks, paddles, tweezers, and shears
– The blowpipe is preheated and used to gather molten glass
– The punty rod helps in transferring and shaping the glass
– Various tools aid in shaping and manipulating the molten glass
– Bench: workstation for glassblowers
– Blocks: ladle-like tools for shaping and cooling
– Jacks: large tweezers for forming shape
– Paddles: flat wood pieces for creating flat spots
– Shears: straight and diamond shears for cutting glass
**Group 4: Modern Glassblowing Industry and Innovations**
– Glass transformation occurs at high temperatures around 1,320°C
– Annealing is done between 371 and 482°C to prevent cracking
– Glassblowing involves three furnaces: furnace, glory hole, and lehr
– Furnaces are used to melt, reheat, and cool the glass during the process
– Glassblowing can be used to create precise striped patterns using cane
– Thermal processing advancements in precision glassmaking
– Contemporary glassblowing techniques and practices
– Influence of historical glassmaking on modern industry
– Importance of glassblowing in artistic and industrial contexts
**Group 5: Cultural and Literary References to Glassblowing**
– Glassblowing in Literature:
– Daphne du Maurier’s novel, ‘The Glass-Blowers,’ based on her glassblower ancestors
– Donna Leon’s novel, ‘Through a Glass, Darkly,’ set in a Venetian glassworks
– Incorporation of glassblowing themes in literary works
– Exploration of historical and contemporary glassblowing practices in literature
– Representation of glassblowing as a cultural and artistic theme in literary works
– Various books on Roman glass and its history
– Journals detailing glassmaking in different regions
– Studies on glass production in Europe
– Publications on glass traditions from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance
– Reviews of glass-related novels and literature
Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble (or parison) with the aid of a blowpipe (or blow tube). A person who blows glass is called a glassblower, glassmith, or gaffer. A lampworker (often also called a glassblower or glassworker) manipulates glass with the use of a torch on a smaller scale, such as in producing precision laboratory glassware out of borosilicate glass.
Glassblowing is listed as a Syrian intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.