Topic: Would this be pasta glass?

[KevinH]

It would be unusual for a clear dome to be formed with wreathing through choice or design so that the interior elements cannot be clearly seen from the top. Maybe Adam A. or another glassworker could say how simple or hard it is to include wreathing as a design feature?

[Laura Friedman]

I'm not sure if the term "pasta glass" was used in Murano, or if it is a term used by collectors.

It refers to opaque glass that is not cased under clear. If you look closely, you'll see that almost all Murano glass is cased inside a clear layer - sometimes this layer is extremely thin, but it's what makes the glass shiny. With pasta glass, the glass takes on a dull look that resembles cooke, dry spaghetti, hence the name.  I think you see it best in the picture of Javier's figurine, as with my vase, only the blue bands are pasta - the white portions are cased in clear.

Usually you see this technique in circa 1920s and 30s items.

[Leni]

I'm not sure if the term "pasta glass" was used in Murano, or if it is a term used by collectors.

But in the link I posted, Venetian bead makers are using the term - see post above.

[Lustrousstone]

Could pasta glass be a sort of pate de verre?

[Leni]

I reckon that could well be it, Christine!   :hiclp:

[TxSilver]

I found a definition of pasta vitrea on the Fossilfly site, http://www.fossilfly.com/Murano_Glass_Glossary.htm. The definition is that it is a difficult technique where an opaque colored glass is made by adding clear or colored crystals to molten glass. I read on artofvenice that the glass has the appearance of ceramic.

Anita

[Frank]

If the glass looks like ceramic then it is because the enamels are marvered into the surface. In Monart we collectors coined the term 'Surface-decorated' to distinguish it from clear cased enamels.

Here is a raspberry and two dark coloured examples these have also been lustred.

If less reheating is used an gritty, almost sandpaper-like, quality of texture can be achieved.

[Frank]

The surface pitting is achieved by mixing charcoal or some similar vaporisable material with the enamel on the marver. As it gets to a high enough temperature small bubbles or voids are created.

[TxSilver]

I think we can say that it is not pasta glass. It looks more like paper mache than it does ceramic. It may be a thin layer of colored lattimo on the framework of the weight. I was thrown off by the word pasta and thought it may be glass that was applied like, or looked pasty.

Anita

[Artofvenice]

Here a definition of Pasta Vitrea:
" Opaque coloured glass with a ceramiclike consistency, obtained by mixing large quantities of pigments followed by micro particles of white opal and/or pigmented molted mixture."
Concerning the "Pasta", no it isn't related with that kind of pasta (to eat).

Sincerely

Alex

www.artofvenice.com