In the
hands of skilled artisans, glass is a substance of infinite malleability. Likewise, glass lamp shades are available in
a mind-boggling array of diameters, colors, and styles. During (and probably before) Roman eras,
people indulged in the artistic craft of creating utilitarian and even
elaborate, glassware. As electric lights
and natural gas have permeated our world in more modern times, lamp shades of
glass have also entered many homes.
In this
manner, lamp shades of glass have become well-integrated into both residential
lighting and exclusive art circles. Due
to the singular properties of glass, its manual shaping is truly a unique
craft. Glass is a composite substance
that is characterized by molecular disarray.
When heated, glass does not transform from a solid into a liquid.
Instead, it
flows, softens, and deforms under
pressure. Experienced artisans
thus begin their work with a mass of hot vitreous material. They use long, hollowed-out steel rods known
as blow pipes to pick up and manipulate the glass. With a series of alternating breath
inflations and rolling on a metal table with the rod, an artist is able to mold
the glass into a cylinder form.
Finer glass
features like flaring lamp shade edges, are created with other metal
implements. Lamp shades feature a
variety of colors. The well-known
interior designer, Louis Comfort Tiffany, was famous for his stained glass
lampshades. By consulting the artistic
infrastructure of stained glass art, he combined fragments of colored glass and
lead rods to produce awesome art that reflected dazzling combinations of
objects, scenes, and colors from nature.
Making color additions to glass is an integral part of the craft for
artisans. Due to the existence of
certain metal oxide contaminants, the material often starts out with a tinted
appearance. An artisan may also add
color to the substance via several processes.
A very small chunk of colored material may be softened above transparent
glass to create a double-layered visual effect.
To produce novel designs, very tiny crushed grains of tinted materials
can be mixed into clear material. In a
process known as "enameling," a paste-like solution is utilized for
drawing designs or patterns directly on the surface of the glass.
The
newly-decorated piece must then be kiln-fired in order to set the liquefied
concoction. Contemporary lampshades made
of glass feature equal amounts of class and "dazzle" as their
predecessors did. Antique shades are
very rare and quite expensive. Their
acquisition can be regarded as more of an asset or investment than an ordinary
purchaseHealth Fitness Articles, however.
