Venetian Glass Popular Worldwide for Being Unique and Colorful Venetian glass is a type of glass products made in Venice, primarily on the island of Murano. It is popular worldwide for being colorful, elaborate and skillfully made. Most of the important characteristics of these products were developed by the thirteenth century. Towards the end of thirteenth century, the center of the Venetian glass factories moved to Murano. Byzantine craftsmen played an important role in the development of the Venetian glass. In 1204, some fleeing artisans came to Venice. By the sixteenth century, Venetian artisans gained control over the transparency and color of their glass products, and mastered various modern decorative techniques. Efforts were made to keep these glass making techniques within Venice, but they became known elsewhere and the Venetian style glassware was produced in other Italian cities too. In the sixteenth century, Venetian glass makers used to make vessels using the millefiori technique. Diamond engravings were also made possible during this century by making improvements in the quality of glass. The staple products of the Venetian glass makers in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were drinking glasses. The peculiar Venetian characteristics were the elaborate workings on the stem with tools such as pincers. Symmetrical wings are drawn at each side. This type of drinking glasses and some other vessels with flared bowls are known as bouquetiers. In the eighteenth century, competition from other countries caused a decline of Venetian glass.
Look-Alike Venetian Glass Since the tenth century, Venice has been a trading and manufacturing center for glass. By the thirteenth century, Venetian glassmaking was restricted to the island of Murano. As a result, both Murano and Venice used to describe the same glass. Importers and tourists bought thousands of glass pieces in Murano, thereby skyrocketing their popularity. This led to the production of a high range of counterfeits and look-alikes. Sometimes, identifying Venetian glass can be frustrating because most pieces are not