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This listing is for This TURQUOISE MULTI-COLORED Millefiori Glass Block.
It measures 2" x 2 1/8" x 1 3/8"
It weighs around .54 POUNDS
The final photo shows the millefiori tumbled to show how it looks cut from the blocks
It is manufactured in China. Millefiori, also known as Murrine, is one of the best-known and highly sought after techniques of glass making. It stands for "a thousand flowers" in Italian, and indeed, the end result of this painstaking work often reminds one of a field of whimsical flowers showing off their beautiful colors.
The creation of a millefiori pattern is a multi-step process, but it all starts with a glass rod prepared in a special way. It contains multiple layers of semi-liquid glass paste applied one on top of another around the cylindrical rod. Each layer is molded to have a certain shape (usually star or flower-like) and color.
The preparation continues as the resulting multi-layered rod is stretched and then cut up into small cylindrical pieces called "murrine". The murrine are then cleaned up and arranged in a desired pattern within a special heat-resistant mold to give the product the necessary shape. Next, the mold containing the murrine pattern is placed into the special furnace. These furnaces are the cornerstone of the glassmaking craft, as the artisans use them to heat up the glass mixture and work it while it's in a liquid state. Once murrine start bonding with each other inside the furnace, the mold is removed and its contents are pressed to create a continuous Millefiori surface with no gaps. After that, it's back to the furnace again for creating and shaping the final product.
