Murrine
Murrina (common pluralizations murrine, murrini) is an Italian term for colored patterns or images made in a glass cane (long rods of glass) that are revealed when cut in cross-sections. Murrine can be made in infinite designs—some styles are more familiar, such as millefiori. Artists working in glass design murrine in a variety of ways from simple circular or square patterns to complex detailed designs to even portraits of people. Murrine are designed by layering different colors of molten glass around a core, then heating and stretching it into a rod. When cool, the rod is sliced into cross-sections of desired thickness with each slice possessing the same pattern in cross-section.
The murrina process first appeared in the Middle East more than 4,000 years ago and was revived by Venetian glassmakers on Murano in the early 16th century.[1]
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Example of murrina in scarlet, cream, daffodil and vermilion glass, divided by zanfirico cane.
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An example of simple murrina in various opaque colors.
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An example of multi-layered murrina on the outside of a vessel.
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An example of transparent murrina incorporated into a vessel.
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An example of complex multi-layered murrina in a sculpture.
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An example of a mix of different murrine incorporated into blown glass.
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An example of a mix of different murrina patterns incorporated into blown glass.
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Example of picking up a murrina pattern onto a blowpipe while blowing glass.
Notable artists utilizing murrine
- Lino Tagliapietra - Italian
- Richard Marquis - American
- Richard Ritter - American
- Dante Marioni - American
- Stephen Rolfe Powell - American
- Nancy Callan - American
- Kait Rhoads - American
- Tobias Mohl - Danish
- David Patchen - American
- Loren Stump
See also
References
- ↑ Carl I. Gable, Murano Magic: Complete Guide to Venetian Glass, its History and Artists (Schiffer, 2004), p. 37. ISBN 0-7643-1946-9.