L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano HERITAGE HISTORY IDENTITY TRADITIONS T he purity and beauty of Venetian glass is known worldwide: a precious and ancient tradition that speaks of quality, beauty, elegance and cre- ativity. At the heart of Venice's artistic glass production is the tiny island of Murano and it's there our journey through the history and making of murine (or murrina) is about to start. We'll travel in time, all the way to the Roman Empire, and through places to visit ancient Rome and the grandiose Alexan- dria of Egypt, where the art of murrina glass — although it wasn't call like that, yet — is said to have been born. During this short, but eventful trip through ages and lands, we'll discover why Murano is, today, the home of the best murine makers and why these tiny, colorful pieces of glass are so pre- cious. One thing at a time, though. Murano is, in fact, not a single island, but rather a series of smaller ones joined by several bridges; with a population of 5.000, it's usually remembered by visitors for its col- orful houses and an atmosphere that talks of centuries past and old school beauty. In Murano all feels familiar, cozy, welcoming, with each step taken leading visitors fur- ther away from the world of today, and closer to one made of magic. It's hard to leave without having the impression Murano wants you to stay for longer. It's hard to leave without dreaming about a life on this tiny sliver of the Lagoon. Murano is a place where magic exists, it's the home of glass mak- ing, and glass is the most magical of all human creations: as strong as a rock, as sharp as a blade, yet del- icate and liquid like water, filled with light like a diamond. Murine are one the best examples of this magic: tiny and colorful, as a child I used to wonder how such intricate designs could be created and, as many other kids, I am sure, I had simply decided there must have been wizardry involved. Comes out there's nothing otherworldly in their making, just a lot of expertise and a type of craftsmanship that, today, is known to only a handful of glass makers, all here in Murano. Murrina glass refers to thin glass tubes containing colorful pat- terns or shapes that become visible only when the tube is cut longitu- dinally. You are probably familiar with murrina beads, often repre- senting flowers or geometrical shapes. Murrina beads can be used to make objects, from jewelry to crockery and other types of home decoration. The name itself, mur- rina, is not too old, as it is the mod- ification of a previous term, mur- rino, coined by abbot Vincenzo Zanetti in 1878, when he used it to refer to a specific type of bowls, cups and vases popular in ancient Rome, which were made using glass mosaic tiles. These tiles were crafted in a way similar to that used still today by Murano glass makers: they, too, were made with the use of glass tubes. Mentions of these artifacts are found as early as 61 BC, when Pompey brought back murrha from Alexandria of Egypt, vases made using glass tubes' "slices" where patterns, flowers and even animals were portrayed. If you think that 61 BC is a long way back, well, imagine that the technique was known already to the fathers of glassmaking themselves, the Phoenicians. The name murrha, of course, is where Zanetti took his murrino from: the Latin word has a curious origin, as apparently it comes from myrrha, myrrh, a scented natural substance. The term myrrha became, by extension, syn- onym with perfume and because murrha were used especially to contain perfumes the connection between the object and its content was quickly made, also lexically. The Romans liked Pompey's vases so much, they eventually learnt how to make them, hence Zanetti's need to find a word for murrha in Italian. But murrina glass didn't survive long after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, as the technique and skills necessary for its creation were forgotten during the Middle Ages. Enters Murano, finally. In the 16th century, local glass makers re- discovered the art of murrina glass, but it is with the 20th century that the technique evolved to the one still used today. The process used to make mur- rina glass is fascinating. As men- tioned, a tube of glass is crafted, entirely by hand with the use of special beams, and then is mar- bleized several times over a bronzìn, a metal flat surface used only for this. Each murrina glass tube is like no other, this is why murrina beads and all murrina arti- facts are so special and precious. Currently only two ateliers, both in Murano, create original Venet- ian murrina glass: while requests are high, the labor and time in- volved, along with the lack of trained craftsmen, means it is hard to keep up with demand. Sadly, as it often happens when it comes to our most antique and traditional crafts, younger generations have no interest in learning, thus putting the trade in danger for two reasons: the first is the risk of no longer being able to produce murrina glass once the current craftsmen retire; the sec- ond is strictly connected with the impossibility, as mentioned, to meet market demands. Indeed, murrina beads are extremely pop- ular, as they are used in jewelry making and for the creation of artistic objects, so much so imita- tions thrive. Synthetic beads, in- dustrially produced and often com- ing from outside of Italy, have been invading the market, threatening the wholesomeness and precious- ness of our Made in Italy. Murrina glass holds within the beauty of tradition and the signs of a history leading all the way back to the majesty and wealth of Alexandria of Egypt and Rome. But it is in the colorful calli of Murano, on the waters of the Venetian La- goon, that the miracle-like tech- nique of murrina reached its per- fection and, today, it there we need to go if we want to find the true, authentic, jewel-like soul of glass making art. Murina glass is made with an ancient technique only a handful of people in Murano still know Murina glass in used to make jewelry among other things © Dimbar76 | Dreamstime.com FRANCESCA BEZZONE From the Romans to Murano: the colorful world of murina glass as you have never seen it

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