Video: Glass Fish

This video is quite interesting. This is a British Museum video,  made at Corning. I would have liked it a little better if they had shown the original vessel that was being replicated.





For lampworkers, it's always interesting to watch glass blowers work, to see the differences, and the similarities in working techniques.

For instance - watch how he works the lips - even when the glass has lost it's glow - the clear is still hot enough to move. In general - the significant difference in thermal mass is what allows blowers to spend so long out of the furnace that I am sitting here thinking - "ahhh, it's gonna crack, warm that sucker back up ... . " You get kind of twitchy about that sort of thing as a lampworker, especially when you teach.

The technique for the clear fin is pretty cool too - the two ribbons of glass, and then tweeze into shape. We could do that.

The coolest part is at the end, clearing up the neck of the vessel. I haven't seen that method used for cracking glass before. Way cool. 

Another interesting thing is that this seems to be some sort of vessel or vase - but you couldn't stand it up on end - does it balance sitting on an angle on the lips and the fins? Is it a sort of decanter?

Anyway - cool stuff.