It was during the Roman era that
glassware, which began to be used in
Mesopotamia and Egypt around 3,000
B.C., became a favorite luxury item of
the upper class. Not only were various
technologies and molding skills
invented
during this period but mass production
was also possible. With the collapse
of
Constantinople in the early 13th
century, promising glass technicians
gathered in Venice. The Venetian
Republic was reluctant to allow glass
technicians to travel outside the
country
and forced them into Murano Island and
banned them from leaving the island.
In
the 15th century, Murano was the
center of glass production,
encompassing Europe and the Islamic
area. In the 16th century, the
Bohemian
Kingdom began to imitate Murano
glassware. Taking advantage of
developments in technology, science,
and mining; it was able to produce
outstandingly transparent and lustrous
Bohemian glass – considered one of the
top forms of glassware since the 17th
century and maintained its reputation
throughout time. The Barakat
Collection
presents a wide range of aesthetic
beauty, excellent state of
preservation,
and historical value of Bohemian
glassware.
- (HK.2326)
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