VENICE, MID-18TH CENTURY

THESE MIRRORS DECORATED WITH JEWEL-LIKE INCRUSTATIONS OF BLUE GLASS CABOCHONS ARE A RARE SURVIVAL OF A TYPICALLY VENETIAN FORM OF DECORATION. CELEBRATED SINCE THE 13TH CENTURY AS THE CENTER OF GLASSMAKING OF THE FINEST QUALITY, VENICE ACTUALLY CEASED BEING THE PHYSICAL HUB OF MANUFACTURE IN 1291 WHEN VENETIAN AUTHORITIES MOVED THE PRODUCTION TO THE NEARBY ISLAND OF MURANO, DUE TO FREQUENT FIRES CAUSED BY THE GLASS FURNACES. THE MEASURE ALSO HELPED TO ENSURE THAT NO GLASSMAKING SKILLS OR SECRETS WERE EXPORTED, AND MURANO'S GLASSMAKERS HELD A MONOPOLY ON QUALITY GLASSMAKING FOR CENTURIES, DEVELOPING OR REFINING MANY SPECIALIZED GLASS TECHNOLOGIES INCLUDING ENAMELED GLASS (SMALTO), GLASS WITH THREADS OF GOLD (AVENTURINE), MULTICOLORED GLASS (MILLEFIORI), MILK GLASS (LATTIMO), AND IMITATION GEMSTONES MADE OF GLASS, SUCH AS THOSE SEEN ON THE PRESENT PAIR OF MIRRORS.

VENETIAN MIRRORS OF ANY KIND WERE RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE IN THE 18TH CENTURY COMPARED TO THOSE PRODUCED ELSEWHERE BECAUSE THEY WERE BLOWN AND NOT CAST AND POLISHED. WHILE SURVIVALS OF PURE 18TH CENTURY FURNITURE MOUNTED WITH COLORED GLASS ARE RARE TODAY, COLORED GLASS PANELS WERE UNDOUBTEDLY USED TO DECORATE FURNITURE DURING THE PERIOD; IN 1777 LADY ANNA RIGGS MILLER RECORDED IN HER DIARY ON A VISIT TO MURANO THAT SHE HAD BEEN SHOWN A SUITE OF FURNITURE INLAID WITH PIECES OF BLUE GLASS AND LOOKING GLASS, COMMISSIONED BY THE SULTAN OF TURKEY FOR HIS HAREEM. (G. CHILD, WORLD MIRRORS, NEW YORK, 1990, P. 265). AN 18TH CENTURY MIRROR INCRUSTED WITH BLUE GLASS CABOCHONS CONSERVED IN THE MUSEO VETRARIO, MURANO, IS ILLUSTRATED IN G. MARIACHER, SPECCHIERE ITALIANE, MILAN, 1963, PL. 59. ANOTHER PAIR OF MIRRORS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PRESENT PAIR IN GREEN GLASS ARE ILLUSTRATED IN C. SANTINI, MILLE MOBILI VENETI, 2002, VOL. III, P. 72, PL. 83.