Venetian Glass Mosaics 1860-1917Hardcover, 1 July 2008

In this, the first survey of late 19th- and early 20th-century Venetian glass, readers are treated to 100 color photographs of some of the finest glass ever created in modern times. Venetian glass artists were virtuosos, and their unique, peerless creations are among the glories of glassmaking. The works themselves - goblets, vases, decanters, and more, embellished with dragons, serpents, birds, and flowers - range from the breathtakingly delicate to the gaudy and outrageous. Presenting these fragile beauties is author Sheldon Barr, who gives a compelling account of the political battles, intrigues, and financial entanglements that surrounded the creation and production of Venetian glass, including the near-imprisonment of glass artisans on the tiny island of Murano. This forced seclusion resulted not only in closely guarded techniques but in objects that were distinctly of their own time and style. The popularity of Venetian glass in the mid-1800s hailed a renaissance in glassmaking and created an industry whose stature and output continue to this day.