Page 12 - The Science of Glass
P. 12
This fifteenth‑century
illustration shows glassblowers
putting pots in a furnace.
People in Europe began making glass over a thousand years ago.
Murano, an island near Venice, Italy, was the center of the glassmaking
world. Glassblowers there became famous for their skills. They were
treated like royalty.
Artisans were both artists and scientists. They experimented with
glass. Sometimes, they added metal powders to molten glass. This
created vibrant colors, such as violet and gold. Glass was a luxury at
the time. It was expensive. Only rich people could afford things made
of glass. Those things were usually made with yellow or green glass.
10
