The most expensive Murano Glass sculpture sold. This Thomas Stearns piece sold for $737,000 in 2018. source & here
"Murano glass is created only on the island of Murano, located within the borders of the city of Venice in Northern Italy." quote
Things you learn
I used to own a Nissan Murano. Great car.
It was quite an anomaly of a vehicle. It was a larger car, with a V6 engine, but was aimed more towards comfort & luxury, than towards functionality as either a people mover, 4wd, or storage capacity.
Why am I talking about my old car?
Well, it's because of my rewatching of the TV series, The Sopranos.
The Sopranos is a TV show based on the life of a mafia family, and their associates. It is a terrific show. However, the first time I watching it, I sort of binge watched it. Now, watching it again, there is much of the story that I forgot or missed taking attention of.
One episodes, some people were making fun of the house decor. The comment went along the lines of the ugly, Murano Glassware.
Another person responds with, "I like Murano glass."
I've never taken to wonder much about how a car name is generated.
The name, Murano, relates to series of Islands in Venice.
Murano
Murano was orignally known for its fishing & salt.
But, in 1291, the Venice government banned furnaces from central Venice.
The furnaces were moved to Murano.
The motivation was two-fold. First, to protect, the mostly wooden, buildings from potential fire hazards. Second, to isolate the valued glass blowing techniques. This centralisation, enabled Venice to maintain control over the industry. Control, to such an extent, that any Master glass blowers, could be sentenced to death if they tried to leave Venice.
Murano Glass
Glassmaking really took off in Venice. Glass was one of the most desired treasures during the Renaissance.
Due to Venice's links to Syria & Egypt,the cradle of glass making, when it was part of the Byzantine Empire & it's trade links, it became renowned for its glass making skills.
The industry has had its rises and falls over time due to competition, invasions, politics, religion, trade routes, and so on.
I hope you have learned something about Murano glass. It is something that is over a 1000 years old. As Yoda says;
Sources
https://www.muranoglass.com/en/news-en/ten-facts-you-did-not-know-about-murano-glass/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_glass#cite_note-Commerce789-14
https://www.venetian-glass.info/history.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murano
https://www.glassofvenice.com/blog/2010/02/what-is-the-difference-between-murano-glass-and-any-other-glass/