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Hand Blown Glass
 Glass is one
of the oldest materials known to man. In nature, it is found in four
different forms of natural glass; volcanic glass of which obsidian is
the most common, impactites, tektites and fulgurites. Obsidian was
used by the Stone Age man to make arrowheads and knives. No one knows
when or where glass was first manufactured but it probably originated
from the art of the potter. Since pottery is the oldest art dependent
on fire, it would seem natural that in his search for coatings to seal
and decorate his wares, the potter would discover and develop glazes
similar to glass. The most important invention in the history of glass
was the blowpipe. In a book by CJ Philips “Glass, the Miracle
Maker”, he writes, “The invention of the blowpipe, even though the
time and place cannot be fixed with certainty, must be considered one
of the truly great discoveries of mankind. It caused an industrial
revolution which changed glass from a luxury into a necessity. The
glass prepared without the aid of the blowpipe has been compared to
pottery made by hand before the invention of the potter’s wheel".
There are two types of glassblowing:
Offhand glassblowing is the
gathering of a glob of fused glass on the end of a hollow steel tube
called a blowpipe or blowing iron. The molten glass is then fashioned
into its final form by various techniques of blowing and shaping with
hands or tools or molds.
Lampworking is the softening of
glass rod and tubing by heating it in the flame of a torch. The
softened glass is then formed into a finished piece by blowing it,
manipulating it by hand and shaping it with hand tools. Before the
introduction of glass-drawing machinery, rod and tubing were drawn out
by the offhand glass blower. His finished product became the raw
material of the lampworker.
Mexican Hand Blown Glass
 Mexico is the land of the master craftsman from
the potter to the weaver, the wood carver to the glass blower. The
first primitive Mexican glassware was produced in Puebla in 1542. For
hundreds of years, with no more than a blob of molten glass, a long
pipe and a few primitive tools, these artisans have produced glass
items in a variety of shapes. Originally, Mexican glass was called “bubble
glass” because of all the bubbles produced when methods were not
as uniform as they are today. The blown glass technique consists of
blowing through a pipe onto a red hot glass mass, heated in a special
oven. As the artisan blows, he begins to mold the piece by
continuously turning it around with the pipe. When the piece begins to
cool, the artisan begins shaping and designing. Color is added to the
glass to give it a wonderful look, tone and effect. Some very
experienced artisans add effects such as small bubbles, blobs of
color, colored dots referred to as confetti or pebbles. It is then
thrown onto sand to cool.
 Authentic Mexican glassware contains a pontil,
a mark at the bottom of the glass that indicates that the piece is
mouth blown. The glass blower cuts the hot glass at that point when he
is finished with the sculpted piece. Mexican glass blowers use
lead-free, un-tempered and recycled glass. No two pieces are ever
exactly alike in size or shape or design which simply adds to their
unique appearance. They are truly handcrafted by artisans who still
produce every characteristic of this art called the “blown glass
technique” which is known worldwide and acclaimed for its exceptional
manufacture.
Mexican Food & Gifts To Go original design Mexican hand blown glass
pieces:
Salsa bowls (salsaria)
Chili pepper hand blown glassware
Cactus hand blown glassware
Tequila shot glasses and
gift set
Pebbles pattern glass carafe
Hand blown platter and dip
Large ensalada glass bowl
Red Chili Pepper hand blown glassware
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