Kiln-formed glass, also known as kiln-cast glass, is created by heating individual glass fragments to the melting point in a kiln. This method has been used for thousands of years and has undergone significant development since its inception. Let's take a look back at the development of fusing glass.
- Fusing glass dates back to circa 2000 B.C.E. in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The first people to work with glass realized it could be shaped into ornaments and jewelry by heating crushed or powdered glass. The first methods of fusing glass entailed assembling the necessary components and then heating them in open fires or miniature kilns.
- Glass fusing techniques progressed throughout the Roman Empire (27 BCE - 476 CE). Using a flat surface and heat, Roman glassmakers created mosaics by arranging tiny pieces of coloured glass. Floors and walls were decorated with elaborate patterns made using this method.
- Throughout the Middle Ages, Islamic influence contributed to the development of new glass-fusing processes. In the ninth century, Islamic craftsmen invented a method of making glass objects known as lustre glass. Stunning iridescence was achieved by coating the surface of fused glass with metallic oxides.
- Glass art experienced a renaissance during the Renaissance (14th-17th centuries) and the early modern period. Glasswork was a specialty of the artists of Venice, Italy. Artists developed more complicated fused glass creations by layering glass of varying colours and textures.
- The present development of fusing glass can be traced back to the mid-20th-century emergence of the Studio Glass Movement. Artists like Harvey Littleton and Dominick Labino were among the first to use portable kilns in a studio setting to fuse glass. As a result of this movement, glass was used in a variety of innovative ways by artists.
- Modern Methods: In recent years, fusing glass has exploded in popularity among artists and hobbyists. The precise temperature regulation of today's kilns allows for carefully orchestrated fusing operations previously thought impossible.
Glass painting (adding pigments to glass before fusing), glass slumping (shaping glass over moulds), and glass casting (pouring molten glass into moulds) are only a few of the methods used by artists.
- Innovations in glass technology have also influenced fusing glass's development. Fusible glass and compatible glass are two examples of unique glass kinds that have improved the predictability and dependability of the fusing process. The risk of cracking during fusing is minimized by designing these glasses with uniform coefficients of expansion.
- Modern Uses Fused glass has many contemporary aesthetic and practical applications. Fusing techniques are used by artists to make a wide variety of sculptures, jewelry, wall art, bowls, plates, and other ornamental things. Windows, doors, and decorative accents are just few of the many architectural uses for fused glass.
Fusing glass, in conclusion, has a rich and varied history, and has developed considerably over time. Beginning in ancient Egypt, this art form has evolved through the inventions of the Studio Glass Movement and beyond, and it continues to captivate artists and lovers all around the globe to this day.