Lucite Tie Necklace

This is my absolute favorite necklace design. It was inspired by a trip to Venice with my family, where I researched ideas for my new collection. It is made out of vintage Lucite, from the 1950s and beads I took from an antique lampshade.
Glassmaking in Venice dates as early as the 8th century. In 1291, the government of Venice banned glass furnaces from the central islands, confining them only to Murano. It is thought to have happened due to fear of the fires glass furnaces might cause. The prevailing theory, however, suggests that isolation would ensure secrecy for master glassblowers, and prevent them from sharing information with foreigners. Artisans were practically forced to stay there so they would not have contact with international competitors.
Venice ultimately came became the leading source for fine glass in Europe, and served as a main source of trade. In 1921 Ciacomo Cappellin and Paolo Venini founded their glassworks company, Vetri Soffiati Muranesi Cappellin, Venini & C. Their focus on modern design techniques took fashion trends into consideration and catapulted the glasswork industry into the 20th century.
As the glass industry of Venice continues to evolve, contemporary firms still rely on traditional skills. This means that glassblowers work as artisans rather than artists, a distinction that defines the history of their work. Today, tourists are given the opportunity to go inside these once forbidden factories to watch live glassblowing demonstrations. I was fortunate to experience this first hand and I could hardly believe my eyes when the artisan turned a large globular form of matter into an intricate horse sculpture.
The success of Murano’s glassblowing industry is largely due to its location. Throughout the Renaissance period, travelers would stop to visit the glass workshops on their way to the Holy Land. Italy is home to some of the most important religious relics in the world, so Murano experienced a lot of traffic during this time.
Reference Sources:
Carl I. Gable. Murano Magic: Complete Guide to Venetian Glass, Its History and Artists . Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2004
Austin, Jamie Sue. “A History of Murano Glass.” LifeinItaly.com. Murano, 8 April 2010. Magazine on-line. Available from http://www.lifeinitaly.com/murano/murano-history-1.asp. Accessed 8 April 2010.