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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Murano & Italy Glass => Topic started by: svazzo on April 05, 2005, 10:41:16 PM

Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: svazzo on April 05, 2005, 10:41:16 PM
Hi Everyone!
As the new moderator for the Murano section I will be bringing new topics, examples, and information for everyone to read and participate in. This new Murano 101 topic, as here in the US we call the 1st (101) introductory class to a College course, is all about BUBBLES!!!

I have compiled a few images of Murano pieces in my collection with bubbles as decoration...

First I'll start with one of Alfredo Barbini's designs, using 1 layer of Controlled Bubbles or "Bullicante" over white. Usually the Gold Fleck will cause the piece to have a quilted design. It depends if the bubbles are on top of the gold or below it.


(http://www.svazzo.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bullicante.jpg)


This second image is of an Archimede Seguso bowl, with 2 layers of Controlled Bubbles, which I called "Bollicine" for a long time to differentiate it from the "Bullicante" (1 layer). It is however called "Bullicante" in books so I will refer to it as such.


(http://www.svazzo.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bullicante2.jpg)


This next one is from a Barovier piece, where he used multiple rows "Cordonato," not layers of bubbles, one over the other, like Seguso.


(http://www.svazzo.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/cordonato.jpg)


There are many other combinations in which this bubbles are used, but they are in 1 form or another, "Controlled."

On the other hand this next examples go into something different. They use bubbles as the main part of the bowl or vase. The bubbles become the background, the color, and the texture of the piece.

Here's a piece which has very, very tiny frothy bubbles "Pulegoso" decoration, and has the white color because of it. The piece also has little open bubbles on the outside, but because they are so tiny, they are hard to feel with your fingers.


(http://www.svazzo.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/pulegoso.jpg)


A little more intricate is this "Pulegoso" or "A Bollicine Sommerso" piece, where the bubbles vary in size, from "Froth" to larger bubbles all dispersed throughout the vase. It is also covered with a thin layer of Pink glass and Gold Flecks, so there is no texture.


(http://www.svazzo.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bollicine.jpg)


Last is a close up of a "Pulegoso" vase, that has no decoration or any extras, other than a light Iridescent surface. This shows how the bubbles are everything to the vase, Color, Texture, and Form!


(http://www.svazzo.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/pulegoso2.jpg)


Hope this helps all of you collecting Murano, and those others looking at the board! Thanks again! Comments and new posts are welcomed!
Javier
Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: Frank on April 06, 2005, 07:49:52 AM
Interesting Javier. What were the techniques used for creating the bubbles of each type?
Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: svazzo on April 06, 2005, 08:45:40 AM
Hello Frank!
Thanks for the post. I will look and see what I can find, although reading my books I didnt see much on how each technique is executed. Will look and try to find more info.
Javier
Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: paradisetrader on April 06, 2005, 12:45:13 PM
Bollicine
In Century 20 Pina defines this as "tightly packed bubbles" and Gable in Murano Magic explains that the technique uses "an oxygen rich mixture"...." to produce glass filled with bubbles". In the sommerso example he shows, the bubbles look very many, randomly dispersed and of different sizes.

From your example also it would seem that bollicine and pulegoso give a similar effect but maybe ony bollicine is used with sommerso layering ?
Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: Frank on April 06, 2005, 01:16:51 PM
Puleg0so is attributed to Martinuzzi for Venini after 1928 according the Glass Museum article by Ursula Losch here http://www.glass.co.nz/Venini.htm

Early Pulegoso (http://www.museiciviciveneziani.it/images/Vetro--pulegoso-verde--Mart.jpg) found in Glass museum here http://www.museiciviciveneziani.it/frame.asp?sezione=incostruzione follow > Glass Museum > Layouts and Collections > Twentieth century.
Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: svazzo on April 06, 2005, 04:33:54 PM
Quote from: "paradisetrader"
... it would seem that bollicine and pulegoso give a similar effect but maybe ony bollicine is used with sommerso layering ?


Hi Peter,
Yes, the Pulegoso is without the clear glass layer, which gives it the rough texture to the outside.


"a bollicine" (with small bubbles) - Glass, foam like in appearance, with fine air bubbles, created by adding wet wood or an oxygen-rich compound to the melt."

"pulegoso" - Glass, foam-like in appearance, with coarse, dense bubbles.

Definitions from the book "Italian Glass - Murano • Milan 1930-1970, by Helmut Ricke and Eva Schmitt"
Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: svazzo on April 06, 2005, 04:43:15 PM
Quote from: "Frank"
Puleg0so is attributed to Martinuzzi for Venini after 1928...


Hi Frank,
I belive Martinuzzi was the inventor of the technique 1927-28, but I didnt want to put his name to the example, because he wasnt the only one using the technique in the 20's-30's. Seguso alo did early Pulegoso pieces for example.

Javier
Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: bidda on September 28, 2006, 03:58:28 PM
Hi, I have a small shell shaped bowl that is done in three layers (sommerso?): clear exterior; green interior and what appears to be a frothy, semi-opaque whitish layer in between. I can't see any clearly defined bubbles but the whitish glass layer looks almost grainy. Would this middle layer be considered "bollicine"? Thanks for any direction on this issue.
Bidda
http://www.schellers.org/ebay_images/fro1.jpg
http://www.schellers.org/ebay_images/fro2.jpg
http://www.schellers.org/ebay_images/fro3.jpg
Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: josordoni on September 28, 2006, 04:10:15 PM
This is fascinating!  I look forward to your kind sharing of your knowledge, Javier.
Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: svazzo on September 28, 2006, 06:28:11 PM
Hi Bidda,
Your piece looks like it has bubbles in it from the making process.
Some opalescent pieces will have that.
Javier
Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: svazzo on September 28, 2006, 06:38:35 PM
Quote from: "josordoni"
This is fascinating!  I look forward to your kind sharing of your knowledge, Javier.


Thanks Lynne,

There are other threads like this one all the way in the back, that I posted when first was asked to be the Moderator for the Murano Forum.

Javier
Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: bidda on September 28, 2006, 06:48:47 PM
Thanks Javier :)

We can thank the search function for the bump. I looked up "frothy" ha ha.

Is it common for a bubbled layer such as this one in a sommerso piece? I don't think I've seen it before. Also, I was under the impression that opalescent pieces appear to have a subtle rainbow effect (like the opal gemstone) though not as blatent as iridiscent glass (carnival?). The frothy layer just adds a sort of cloudy, semi-opaque appearance to the outside of the bowl.

I think the shape of this bowl is fairly common. It's got a nearly complete "Genuine Venetian Glass Made In Murano Italy" green and gold scalloped foil sticker on the bottom. Have you any idea to whom it may reasonably be attributed?

Thanks so much for all your help!

Bidda
Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: buydesigns on October 03, 2006, 08:15:58 PM
Hi Javier,

I love your 101 topic!  What a great idea.  

It would be so nice to be able to put a sound to the visuals in this thread.  

I wonder if you might add a sticky note?  

I'm afraid I haven't a clue if it's "pool lay goose oh" or "Pay luh gus oh"

I'd love to be able to manage names and techniques.
Title: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: Anne on October 03, 2006, 09:58:27 PM
Great idea, we could add this to GlasSpeak along with the existing names there. :)
Title: Re: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: bidda on January 09, 2008, 10:37:05 PM
Hi, I have a small shell shaped bowl that is done in three layers (sommerso?): clear exterior; green interior and what appears to be a frothy, semi-opaque whitish layer in between. I can't see any clearly defined bubbles but the whitish glass layer looks almost grainy. Would this middle layer be considered "bollicine"? Thanks for any direction on this issue.
Bidda
http://www.schellers.org/ebay_images/fro1.jpg
http://www.schellers.org/ebay_images/fro2.jpg
http://www.schellers.org/ebay_images/fro3.jpg
Title: Re: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: bidda on January 09, 2008, 10:39:02 PM
whoops, hit post instead of preview   :spls2: i just realized that the photo links no longer works and wanted to replace them with working ones :)

bidda
Title: Re: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: shandiane78 on January 10, 2008, 01:54:54 AM
Javier, how would you describe sfumato? My idea of it seems to be at odds with the definitions in my Pina books. There's a very confusing "bubbles" topic at the fossilfly board, if you feel like chiming in over there! Entitled "pulegoso bowl?" which we now believe might actually be sfumato.
Title: Re: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: shandiane78 on January 10, 2008, 01:56:38 AM
bidda, the bollicine examples I've seen look to me like pulegoso, only not as dense. So you can see the individual bubbles, but there are many, they vary in size, and are not "controlled".
Title: Re: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: svazzo on January 10, 2008, 02:59:03 AM
Id say Sfumato is a "smoke" bubble effect.
The bubbles are so tiny that it looks like captured smoke inside the glass.

On the cased green opal bowl. The bubbles you see are from the cased layers.
I have had a lot of them (opalescent cased with other layers) and they all have had an in-between layer of irregular bubbles formed. I doubt it is meant to be a separate layer, just the in-between part.
I just had a Fratelli Toso orange opalescent beaker vase on Ebay, and it had the same small bubbles within it.
Javier
Title: Re: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: langhaugh on January 10, 2008, 08:36:37 AM
Javier: Anita and I have been having a discussion about pulegoso, bollicine and other bubbles, and so I'm interested in the revival of this thread. I've got a few pieces where the bubbles seem to be what you describe as bubbles in the in-between part (as in the F'lli Toso vase). Do you you know what creates those bubbles and are they there intentionally?

It seems to me that here are two ways of adding bubbles to glass, chemically or physically. Chemically it can be done with gasoline and a number of other substances, including wet wood it seems. Do we have a different name for the process for each chemical we add, or do we use the same name? Is it a different process, bollicine, when the pulegoso is cased, or when a chemical other than gasoline is used? I just checked  Venini Catalogue Raisonne, which defines pulegoso as "purposely introducing foreign matter into the mass while molten (sodium bicarbonate or petrol) which burns off under intense heat leaving gas pockets of various dimensions." That seems the most practical and useful definition I've come across.

Physically adding the bubbles, bullicante, seems simpler. At some point in the manufacture, the glass come into contact with metal points that penetrate the surface of the glass. The points are either placed on the marver or are in a type of mould. Adding another layer of glass after this creates the bubbles. The regularity of the bubbles depends upon the the physical layout of the points and the manipulation of the glass after this step.

Imagine if we extended this discussion to bubbles in Scandinavian glass?

David
Title: Re: Murano 101: Bubbles Bubbles and more Bubbles!!!
Post by: antiquerose123 on January 10, 2008, 10:47:39 PM
 :hiclp: :hiclp: So great to have Murano 101.  Thanks Svazzo.  Great Idea...Super  :hiclp: