Glass Encyclopaedia - Antique & Collectable Vintage Glass Guide
Welcome to our Glass Encyclopaedia, our very own identification guide to Antique & Vintage Collectable Glass. Over the years, as dealers in glassware, we have taken thousands of pictures of glass vases, bowls, paperweights, sculptures and other glassware. After we have sold an item, it seems a shame to delete those pictures, so we use them to create an encyclopaedia guide in the galleries shown below. We hope they will enable you discover more about the types of glass products that you are interested in collecting, or help you to identify a glass item you have come across. Please note, we are well aware that there are some gaps, for instance, we don't have much on French or American glass, this is simply because, as glass dealers in the UK, we don't come across that much of it, so we don't have many pictures with which to create a guide. Our glass encyclopaedia is aimed to be as accurate as possible. However, if you feel we have made a mistake, please contact us. We are constantly improving and extending our glass encyclopaedia and galleries, so please check back frequently.
Most of the glassware items listed in these sections are from our past sales, and are no longer available to buy. To see all antique + vintage collectable glass that we currently have in stock, please:
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All Murano Glass Empoli Glass Scandinavian Glass British Glass Czech & Bohemian Glass Maltese Glass German & Austrian Glass Art Deco Glass Victorian Glass Paperweights Other GlassOther info:
Glass Catalogues Glass Labels Glass Signatures + Marks Glass Forum Search Glass Auction Search User Comments Glass Links Glass Reference DatabaseItalian Murano Glass
The term "Murano Glass" defines glass produced on the island of Murano, near Venice, Italy. There are many different manufacturers, both past and present, based on Murano. The history of Murano Glass began in 1291, when concerns about the risk of fire to the mainly wooden buildings of Venice lead to the many glass manufacturers there being ordered to move their premises to the small island of Murano, just off the coast of Venice, Italy. Murano was already a busy trade port at the time. Murano glass artists soon became renowned for their skills in glass design, and had a monopoly on glassware production for several centuries. The Murano glass industry boomed during the 1950's/60's, exporting a vast amount of Venetian glassware as well as producing a large quantity of glassware for tourists visiting Venice. Murano glass production is still extremely active today.
Due to the success and popularity of Murano glass with collectors, styles of glassware that originated on the island of Murano have been reproduced elsewhere, often of much poorer quality. These days, a lot of "Murano" glass sold on eBay or at antiques & collectable fairs can actually turn out to be made recently in China. When collecting glass, to avoid accidentally buying glass that wasn't actually made in Murano, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the current styles of glassware that are of Chinese origin. The best places to do this are on the website www.alibaba.com or in your local TK Maxx store.
