Millefiori glass

The term millefiori is a combination of the Italian words «mille» (thousand) and «fiori» (flowers). A. Pellatt (in his book «Curiosities of Glass Making») was the first to use the term «millefiori», which appeared in the Oxford Dictionary in 1849. The beads were called mosaic beads before that time. While the use of this technique long precedes the term millefiori, it is now frequently associated with Venetian glassware.

More recently, the millefiori technique has been applied to polymer clays and other materials. Because polymer clay is quite pliable and does not need to be heated and reheated in order to fuse it, it is much easier to produce millefiori patterns than with glass.

Another material, to which the millefiori techniques has been applied, is paraffin wax. Again, due to the low melting point of wax and its extreme pliability, the material is easier to produce millefiori than glass. This technique seems to have been invented by a «Stoney» French in the late 1950's. he passed on his techniques to an employee, a Danny Ruddick who returned to Israel to found «Jerusalem Candles» which by the early «90s were selling millions of $» worth of millefiore candles into the U.S. and Europe from factories in Tel Aviv, San Diego and Rotterdam.

Unfortunately, before «Stoney» French died in a plane crash, he had also sold his millefiori techniques to a Chinese businessman. As a result by the mid-90's U.S. and European markets were awash with cheap versions and the whole market for quality millefiore candles disappeared almost overnight.

An English company «Stoneglow» staggered on for a while, moving over to gel candles. An African company «Swazi» candles still manufactures for tourism, using millefiore discs still made by the remnants of the trade in Tel Aviv. An Englishman, Ken Parsons, has moved on from his own independently produced millefiore candles business «Spectrawax», to producing millefiore wax and fibre glass resin laminate lampshades.

Image. Millefiori glass shade.

Until the 15th century, Murano glassmakers were only producing drawn Rosetta millefiori custom glass made from mould–made Rosetta canes. Rosetta millefiori patterns are made by the layering of a variable number of layers of glass of various colors in a mould, and by pulling the soft glass from both ends until the cane has reached the desired thickness. It is then cut into short segments for further processing. The murrine used for decorative purposes were manufactured by applying the same technique.

Image. Murano glass, Millefiori paperweight. 1950.

More in History Of Glass

Antique Glass	Roman Gold glasses	Blowing glass
Russian glass manufacturing	Stained glass	Enameled glass
Enameled and Gilded Glass from Islamic Lands	Milchglas	Schwarzlot
Gilded glass	Colored glass	Cranberry Glass
Engraved and cut crystal — Glass from famous Czech cutters and engravers	Enameling glass	Murano glass
Incalmo glass	Millefiori glass	Pulegoso glass
Filigrana	Cameo glass	English Cameo Glass
Galle	Daum	Delatte
Muller	deVez, Mont Joye, and Pantin	Legras
Le Verre Francais	D'Argental, Richard and Arsall	Baccarat, Saint Louis, and Val Saint Lambert
D. Christian Meisenthal, Vallerysthal, and Burgun and Schverer	Schneider	Kosta, Reijmyre, and Hadeland
Marcel Goupy	Others	Pressed glas
Acid-etched glass	Crackle glass	Ice glass
Brilliant cut glass	Flashed and cased glass	Iridescent glass
Carnival glass	Tiffany	American glassmaking
Modern American glassmaking	Lalique	Bohemian glass
Riihimaen Lasi Oy glassware	Kaj Franck	The Graal technique
Textured glass	Glass as sculptural art	Vicke Lindstrand
The Zanfirico technique	Modern Italian glass	Sommerso glass
Venini	The Fazzoletto vase	Blenko glass
Dale Chihuly	Clearly optical	Kiln forming and casting
Float glass	Triplex

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