It is known that the glass we use in everyday life - an artificial material.But it has a natural analogue - obsidian.It is a frozen volcanic lava or melt the rock.It was used by primitive people obsidian for the manufacture of various cutting tools, as well as jewelry.
Handmade glass origin story which will be discussed below, at first a little different from the natural.It could not boast of any beauty or clarity.
history of the invention of glass: Legends and conjectures
Antique scholar Pliny the Elder in his writings leads information that appeared thanks to artificial glass travelers who prepared food on the sandy shore, and as supports for the boiler using a piece of natural soda.The next day, on the outer wall of the boiler was found glass crust.Pliny The hypothesis was disproved only in the 20th century.Scientists have proven that to melt the glass over an open fire is impossible.However, several thousand years ago, the inhabitants of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia learned to melt the glass in the pits.The temperature in these primitive furnace was high enough to sand, lime and alkalis formed new material.However, the first man-made glass, most likely really was created by accident during production of pottery.
ancient technology
history of glass in the history of mankind has more than 4 thousand years.Images and artifacts found in the tombs of the pharaohs, give an idea of the oldest methods of production and taste preferences of the Egyptians.Thus, the glass was originally used as a glaze for pottery.Also because it made beads, bottles and pendants.Egyptians, unlike the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, preferred opaque glass.His stained metal oxides in the blue, purple, yellow and other colors.Only officials and personages of royal blood could afford glassware.Small objects were made by the following method: a metal rod placed on a clay core, which is wound on the hot glass.
large to do so: the form was placed in a glass mass and turned.Glass thin layer settles on the walls and solidified, and subsequently extracted form.
Evolution of production.Antiquity
History of glass (hand-made, of course) is reflected in many museum collections.Considering the collection of Egyptian antiquities, it can be concluded that the old products are not complicated.Details melted separately, and to cleave to the main volume.The Egyptians also practiced manufacturing mosaic (typesetting) glass, which was used to decorate furniture.This technique is a few centuries, the Romans took over and perfected.In addition, shortly before the beginning of our era artisans of Alexandria invented a blowpipe.With it, the mass of red-hot blown bubble and eventually gave him the form of various special tools.In addition to free blowing, became widespread in antiquity blowing in the matrix.Sometimes masters used a whole range of forms, from which then collected the finished product.The method allows to produce complex glass constructions.Moreover, the Romans learned glazing windows.Antique window glass was pretty cloudy and very thin and cast (presumably) into a flat shape.
Middle Ages and Renaissance.Achievements Venetians
Romans contributed to the spread of glassmaking in Europe.However, local (including Cologne) products inferior in quality to the east, but the German masters invented flat glass.In composition, it is not much different from the modern.Masters of Venice, went even further.The history of glass in the history of mankind is inconceivable without the contribution of the Venetians.They have concentrated on improving the properties of the material and made it an exceptional transparency.Protectionism in respect of local production has borne fruit: the local crystal highly prized in Europe.
Also dishes and plate glass, Venetian craftsmen produced lenses for glasses and mirrors.Almost half the population of the city was occupied in glass.Workshops were even transferred to the island of Murano in order to avoid urban fires and leaks.Of course, the Venetians were competitors, primarily Genoese craftsmen.But the analogy of Murano glass was obtained by Englishman John Ravenkroftom only in the 17th century.
story of glass in Russia.The development of handicrafts
In Russia this expensive material came from Byzantium.In the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, archaeologists unearthed workshops glassmakers relating to the 11th century.But the products remained little tricks of the trade have been lost.Therefore it is difficult to assume whether the Russian history of glass.In the history of mankind often it happens that many things had to reinvent.Crafts Revival happened only in the 17th century (in 1639) when the Swede Yu Koyet built near the capital plant for the production of window glass and apothecary dishes.Thirty years later, the plant was established Izmailovo.It produced luxury goods, mainly exquisite "funny" on the model of Venetian goblets.
In the 18th century, several glass factories worked around Petersburg.It has been re-invented colored glass.Products painted with gold and silver, decorated with transparent and opaque enamels.
modern glassmaking
In the 18-19 centuries the history of glass in the history of mankind was conditioned by the industrial revolution.Across Europe, the improvement of the production process took place.There were new furnace, changing technology and processing drawing mass.We build factories, production of which has been focused on the man in the street, not the reigning persons.In other words, the glass became available.By the early 20th century in central Russia worked many small enterprises producing dishes and plate glass.However, they could not meet the growing needs: the volume of imports remained high.
In 1959, British engineers have invented a new method of stretching and balancing the glass in a bath of molten tin.It was called "float method".This technology, more streamlined, and is used in modern industry.
