Topic: Intarsio or inlaid glass

[njstark]

Hello All,

Does anyone have any examples of intarsio or inlaid glass? As I understand it, pieces of glass are inliad with epoxy or other glue into a larger piece to make a design.

Can anyone describe the method of manufacture, techologiy issues, and stability of the finished pieces. History of the method?

Thanks, Nancy

[Sue C]

I dont know if this is of any use to you
http://annuaire.idverre.net/4daction/encyclo_rech_cat_e/153/1

[langhaugh]

I'm not at home with books right now, so take this with a grain a salt. My recollection is that intarsio, at least in how it applies to glass, is a name used by Barovier and Toso to describe a particular technique/style. The design is achieved by arranging triangular pieces of glass in different colours on the marver. They are either picked up by a gather of glass (or first fused in the furnace) and then blown. So heat not epoxy binds them together. I know the term is used in woodwork and in knitting, too, (but not from personal experience), so there could also be other definitions of the term. Hope this helps.

David

[njstark]

Thank you David, yes that is helpful. I'm attaching a photo of some beads by my friend Luigi Cattelan. (Luigi, I hope you don't mind my using your picture.) Luigi is attempting to resurrect the method--in beads--so that the technique will not be lost.

Nancy

[langhaugh]

Quite stunning and I'm not a bead collector! Does he make his own murrines? I'm home next week and I'll check my books for more info, but, by the look of the beads, I don't think he needs much help. There are quite few studio glass people using techniques similar to intarsia at present. I saw a few last week in Kela's Gallery in Kapaa, Kauai, and Lisa Samphire uses the tessere technique in B.C., Canada. They all require huge amount of work and are quite exquisite.

David

[krsilber]

Those beads are stunning!

"Intarsia" was a term also used by Steuben (I don't know why it was changed from "intarsio," Italian for "marquetry," unless to indicate plural).  It referred to a process of using tweezers to add flat bits of glass to a parison of a contrasting color.  These were often in the form of plants.  The new bits were then marvered in, and the parison was flashed with a layer of the original color (usually crystal).

The same process was used by Moser and Harrach, but I've only heard the term "marquetry" applied in those cases; I believe they are synonymous.  Sue C's link mentions marquetry being used by Galle, as well.  (Thanks for that great link, Sue!)

[Sue C]

The first thought that came to me when you said "inlaid" was micro mosaic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_mosaic
but i dont think this is what you want.