{"id":2934,"date":"2026-08-11T09:51:33","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T09:51:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ellegiglass.com\/?p=2934"},"modified":"2026-08-11T09:51:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T09:51:36","slug":"working-murano-glass-techniques","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ellegiglass.com\/en\/working-murano-glass-techniques\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2 Main Techniques for Working Murano Glass"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you think of Murano glass, the first word that comes to mind is glassblowing. Blown glass is indeed one of the best-known, most widespread and visually spectacular techniques for creating fine objects and artistic works<\/strong>. This does not mean, however, that Murano glass objects have been made exclusively through glassblowing. In reality, when we talk about blowing we refer to the technique of shaping the object by expanding air inside a molten mass \u2014 it is, in short, the embryonic stage, which gives the raw material (glass) a recognisable form (such as an ornament, a chandelier, a vase and so on). But blowing alone is not enough to finish the work and decorate it with unique details<\/strong>. For these steps, other processes are required \u2014 and therefore other techniques, the best known of which (because it is often carried out alongside glassblowing) is hammering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tecniche<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Together, glassblowing and glass hammering are used to bring small and large masterpieces to life<\/strong>, without the addition of polluting chemical substances and without any hazardous material that might disperse into the environment over time (such as VOCs \u2014 volatile organic compounds). There are also other techniques for working and decorating glass. We at Ellegi Murano Glass want to guide you through this fascinating world, just as we do during our workshops and live demonstrations<\/a>. We will reveal the process by which blown glass is shaped through blowing (the hot phase), and how it is then modified through hammering (the cold phase). We will then look one by one at the secondary techniques, such as murrina, filigrana and sommerso<\/strong>. Keep reading and discover the secrets of this beautiful and ancient art!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOT WORKING AND COLD FINISHING OF GLASS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Blown glass is a shaping technique<\/strong> invented in the 1st century BC (probably in the Syro-Palestinian area) that exploits the viscosity of molten glass to create hollow objects. The person who works the glass \u2014 the master glassmaker \u2014 introduces air through a blowpipe to expand the mass, obtaining uniform or complex forms (as in the balloton or pigna technique) also with the help of moulds. Hammered glass is instead a cold decorative technique,<\/strong> applied usually to objects that have already been blown or are made of solid glass: the surface is abraded with a grinding wheel to create small irregular “bumps” oriented in the same direction, giving the piece the aesthetic appearance of, for example, wrought iron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can broadly distinguish two phases in the working of Murano glass<\/a>: the hot-working phase \u2014 that of blowing, when the glass leaves the furnace and is shaped before it cools \u2014 and the cold-working phase, that of hammering (but not only, as we shall see shortly). In our historic furnace in Murano<\/strong> it is possible to admire both phases, with different formats and experiences designed to suit every type of need and audience. Read the details on the experiences page!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Book one of the next workshops with renowned master glassmakers<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

1. Blown Glass: The Genesis of Form (Hot Phase)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The glassblowing process, as we have just seen, therefore takes place entirely in the hot phase, specifically at a temperature above 1,000\u00b0C<\/strong>. Dedicated furnaces have always been required to reach these conditions and guarantee effective working. But blowing, in addition to being divided into free and mould blowing, is in reality just one of the necessary steps. Let us see how the process unfolds from the gathering of the glass to the actual blowing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n