Competing tastes in glass goblets - transparent or opaque?

When Murano (Venice) glass master Angelo Barovier  invented cristallo in the mid-1500s, it represented the 'holy grail' of goblet makers. 

Cristallo was exceptionally clear and  transparent glass, free of the impurities that had clouded its predecessors. What better material for drinking vessels (even the holy grail!)? Drinkers could now appreciate their tipple's appearance, as well as its taste and smell.

Murano Dragon Stem goblet, 1600s

Throughout the Middle Ages, glass goblets from Murano dominated the European market for glass drinking vessels - not least because of Cristallo. Murano's competing glassworks created goblets that were increasingly complex in design, decoration and creation; but they also increased in price, restricting their ownership to the wealthy.

 

Is it glass, or ...?

Despite the popularity of cristallo, it became popular or fashionable to create vessels from materials other than glass, especially precious and semi-precious stones. Faced with this threat to their hold on the European market, Murano’s glass makers created new types of glass that imitated chalcedony, opal, amethyst, emerald, sapphire and other precious and semi-precious stones.

Turquoise was especial popular. It was highly prized in the Islamic world

'Turquoise' goblet

and it was imported into Europe via Venice from eastern Iran. The bowl and foot of the late-15^th century Murano glass goblet in the illustration are made of imitation turquoise, while the darker blue stem imitates lapis lazuli. (The goblet is presently held in the British Museum.)

So while Murano’s glass makers celebrated the invention of cristallo and exploited its transparency in new versions of their traditional goblets, they also devoted time and skill to creating forms of glass that  ... well ... didn’t look like glass.

And now?

Of course, most glass drinking vessels are made today industrially. However, hand-made goblets in the Venetian style (façon de Venise) retain their allure. Many present-day glass artists take pride both in replicating the original designs and in creating new forms that showcase their skill and creativity. They include the three International Artists in Residence at the 2019 Festival of Glass - Murano glass master Davide Penso and glass artists Karina Guevin and Cédric Ginart from Montreal.

As visitors to the Festival will see, Davide, Karina and Cédric each creates hand-made goblets in the Venetian style, but each interprets "Venetian style" in their own very creative way.

This is the second in a series of blog posts about the centuries-old tradition of making glass goblets. Among the many and varied creations of our International Artist in Residence at the 2019 Festival of Glass - Davide Penso (Murano) and Credric Ginart and Karina Guevin (Montreal) - are extraordinary contemporary interpretations of this tradition.