The Art of Venetian Mirrors
In the 15th century, the Venetian Island of Murano, otherwise
known as the "Isle of Glass" became the epicenter of the art of glass making,
and the legendary birthplace of Venetian mirrors. Venetian master artisans
invented the revolutionary “flat mirror technique”: First, the master glaziers
melted tin into glass tubs. Once the tin cooled, the artisans broke the tin into
separate pieces and applied it to the flat glass surface using a method that the
artisans learned only after being sworn to secrecy. Then they created a
mysterious reflective mixture, also adding gold and bronze metals. The "magical"
mixture imparted the Venetian mirror with a pronounced quality of enhancement;
things of beauty viewed in reality rendered absolutely stunning reflections.
The unsurpassed quality of these Venetian mirrors brought about a new reality:
competitors began to relentlessly seek the production secrets of the Venetian
mirrors. So, to counteract this prying, the famed glass artists of Murano formed
an elite panel called the "Council of Ten". The Council of Ten stringently
protected the widely coveted secrets of their glass making techniques.
Transported to the island of Murano in secret, undercover master glassmakers
posed as firefighters, avoiding detection. The "Council of Ten" supported their
master glassmakers with generous wages and comfortable accommodations, but
isolated them from the outside world in an extreme effort to uphold their solemn
vow of confidentiality. The Venetian mirror industry yielded extremely high
profits; and interference from rivals was not optional. As it was, only the
staggeringly wealthy could afford the magical Venetian mirrors. At the time, the
cost of one Venetian mirror was comparable to the cost of a naval ship.
The popularity of Venetian mirrors evolved into cultism; Venetian mirrors were
highly sought after collectibles. Two kings of this period, King Hendry VIII of
England and King Francis I of France, were recognized for their fanatical
collecting of Venetian mirrors. French nobility, forever attempting to stay
abreast with the collections of royalty, thought of money as no object when the
opportunity to acquire a Venetian mirror presented itself. The cost of these
Venetian mirrors, in some instances known to exceed the cost of a significant
number of human lives, was extreme. By ways of gentler comparison, a work of art
painted by Rafael was a less expensive choice than one Venetian mirror of the
same size.
During the late 16th century, true to the style known as high fusion, the French
queen Maria De Medici fancied a Mirrored Office for herself. For this project,
119 custom Venetian mirrors shipped directly from the island of Murano. Perhaps
as a token of appreciation for the magnitude of her purchase, Venetian masters
presented the queen of France with a breathtaking gift: a magnificent Venetian
mirror encrusted with precious stones. This extravagant Venetian mirror is
preserved and kept in the Louvre in Paris, where it may be viewed today.
In the 17th century, hundreds of years of unrelenting persistence paid off when
Colbert, the minister of Ludwig XIV, bribed three Murano masters with gold and
transported them in to France. Good students, the French quickly learned the
Murano glass making techniques. They learned that the method the Venetian
masters perfected for their craft centered on the art of glassblowing. After
mastering this technique, they expanded their repertoire of glass making skills
by developing their own. The French masters began manufacturing Venetian mirrors
using casting techniques based on pouring glass into the cast molds. Then they
poured the glass directly from the dome into the perfectly smooth surface of the
cast mold. As the glass cooled, they rolled it with specialized rollers,
achieving a perfect consistency and a smoothness of material. Immediately after
the French developed this new technique, the construction of the Mirrors Gallery
in Versailles commenced. Embellished with 306 huge Venetian mirrors, the Mirrors
Gallery measured 220 feet, or 73 meters long at completion.
In present times, Venetian mirrors continue to convey luxury and status. Today’s
market shows that there are a number of Venetian mirror “knockoffs” flooding the
market; these are mirrors that pass for Venetian mirrors but lack the
craftsmanship of the genuine articles. These knockoffs are manufactured all over
the world and are often marketed as “Venetian inspired” or “Venetian Style”
mirrors, or sometimes not at all, giving no indication the consumer that they
are imitations. However, the informed consumer knows that just as genuine
champagne only comes from the Champagne province in France; authentic Venetian
mirrors come only from the Venetian island of Murano in Italy. Although Venetian
mirrors are still highly priced and highly sought after items, most Venetian
mirrors are considered affordable investments and functional works of art.
Indeed, once you behold the fine details and craftsmanship that defines the
Venetian mirror, the magnetic lure of the Venetian mirror’s beauty is
practically impossible to resist.
Today’s Venetian Glass Mirrors
Every classic Venetian mirror we offer is hand made in Venice, Italy. All of the
Venetian mirrors we offer are produced by the methods of the 18th and 19th
century techniques perfected by generations of skilled artisans. The skill of
the modern Murano glass artisans is clear when you view our selection of
Venetian mirrors. Even today, the Murano glass artisans possess skills that are
almost magical; it cannot be denied that the mirrors they craft are flawless
works of art.
The perfectly honed skills and aesthetic tastes of the Venetian glassmakers are
evident in each Venetian mirror’s exquisite details. The traditional
characteristics of Venetian glass are present in our mirrors: they possess
unsurpassed clarity; they are exceedingly lightweight; they are brilliant in
color; and they possess the elusive quality of ductility, which permits the
astonishing fantasy of form.
Many of the Venetian mirrors we offer feature carefully crafted roses,
ribbons and tender leaves, enhancing the Venetian mirrors elegant look
with delicate details. The intricacies on some of the Venetian mirrors
we offer are crafted using traditional glass technique.
All of the stunning Venetian mirrors we offer are hand-crafted masterpieces
constructed in a multiple step process. Each piece of clear or colored glass
that makes up the mirror’s elaborate composition is hand-cut or hand-blown. The
Venetian mirror is shaped, polished, and then the design is hand-etched into the
mirror’s surface. Once each piece of glass is backed with silver, all the pieces
are finally assembled and fastened onto the mirror’s wooden substructure.
The Venetian mirrors featured on our site are incredible values. To own one of
these Venetian mirror is to own a piece of a history that is filled with
mystery, romance, and intrigue. These affordable works of art retain their
symbolic status that only centuries of history can impart. Behold your image in
the Venetian mirror of your choice, and witness the legend of the mirror for
yourself.
