Fused glass... a little bit of history

Glass fusing

I hope to write a blog once a week. I want to write about different things that interest me, relating to Gekoglass in some way. I hope that you, my readers also enjoy what I’m writing. In today’s blog I want to talk about glass fusing, what it is and where it comes from. Also what we make using this glass technique.

A close up of an orange fused glass bowl.

The glass fusing process is where a selection of glass pieces are joined together by melting them in a kiln.  Pieces of compatible glass are chosen, cut and then placed in the kiln. A kiln is an oven which reaches temperatures of around 800°C to create the ideal circumstances for melting the glass. The glass heats up slowly and then faster; the glass softens, becomes hotter and more fluid, it then sticks together. Eventually the kiln cools slowly allowing the glass to be solid. The kiln we have takes around twelve hours to perform this process.

This is a view into our kiln while at 600°C.

While the precise origins of glass fusing techniques are not known with certainty, the first fusing and kiln casting that can be formally identified were produced by the ancient Mesopotamians in the 2nd millennium B.C. These processes evolved from ceramic and metal working techniques and glass was considered a precious material alongside silver and gold during this time. The Ancient Egyptians also developed the process. By the latter half of the second millennium they became proficient in fusing the other glass techniques. Greeks and Romans continued to improve the techniques.

Unfortunately the developments of kiln formed techniques were short lived due to the emergence of a new practise, glass blowing. This became popular as it could be repeated easily and was considered more efficient and cheaper. It became the prevalent practice for glass workers and spread throughout the Roman Empire.

By the 2nd and 3rd Century AD the warm glass techniques were almost forgotten. They were re-discovered in Europe, predominantly in France in the 19th century. Fusing began to regain popularity further in the early part of the 20th century, particularly in the U.S. during the 1960s. Bullseye Glass Co. was formed in Oregon in America in 1974 and has developed glass fusing techniques further. They were the leaders in research and developed compatible glass especially for fusing in recent times.

Modern glass fusing is a widespread hobby but the technique is also gaining popularity in the world of fine art. If you are interested in this have a look on https://www.pinterest.com as they have many example of fused glass art. Gekoglass began working with the kiln as a hobby. In April 2014 we decided to turn a hobby into a career.

We work with many different types of glass to create some unique items. We make jewellery with diachronic glass which creates many different effects. 

£18.00 each, available in our glass boutique.

Our scenes are often made using powdered glass and frit. Layers are done one at a time. They have to be tack fired in the kiln to create flowers and landscapes over two or three firings. This one (California Sunset) was done in two firings. The first was the background using powdered glass. The second firing used frit on top to create depth in the picture. 

'California Sunset' £35.00, available in our glass boutique.

We also encapsulate copper into glass. We have created bowls, vases and favour tiles, We have a range of hanging items including glass bunting, chain letters and Christmas hangers. Everything that we make can be personalised.

In the future we would love to offer glass making classes as we really enjoy what we create and would love to teach the art to many other people.

I hope you have enjoyed reading today's blog. If you have any questions or comments please get in touch.