Andrey Frolov

The Art Of Hand Blown Glass Figurines

Hand blown glass figurines are still as sought after as ever. These gorgeous pieces are collected all over the world and they come in all styles and designs.

The Russian glass animal figurines are some of the most popular and highly desired pieces around today. You can find almost every animal imaginable recreated and blow as a glass figurine. The cat figurines and dog figurines are some of  the most popular, but many folks enjoy collecting all kinds of animals, anything from small horse figurines to larger tiger figurines. There are so many to choose from, you're bound to find perfect animal figurine for you.

The tradition of glass blowing has been around for many centuries and is one of the oldest known art forms. Glass was even being blown in BC times, but it wasn't until many centuries later that the glass figurines we see today were first created. This more sophisticated hand blown technique is still used today in Russia and other countries around the world to create delicate glass figurines.

The blowing process starts with the gathering of the glass. During this stage the blower collects molten glass from the red hot furnace with a rod. This tricky manoeuvre can be very painful and dangerous if it's not done correctly, but once mastered, gathering is quick and easy to do. Next, the glass is then rolled. This is done quickly on a steel table before the glass has a chance to cool. The next step is the blowing. Air is blown by mouth into the glass and a glass bubble begins to form. It's during this stage that the glass in shaped. There are a number of additional tools such as blocks and paddles used to shape figurines. The blower will then add more and more glass until he/she has enough for their figurine project. Once the piece is removed from the blow pipe it is placed on a annealer and left to slowly cool and to set.       

In order to add colours to the glass, and to create intricate designs, there are a number of other equally complicated techniques needed. This process is very difficult to learn, specialist equipment is needed, so it's best to leave this to the master glass blowers.

Most modern glassware is now created quickly in moulds, but this original blowing technique is still used today, to create many glass figurines. You'll find that the best hand glass blowers are in Russia. The art forms remains popular there, and many workshops still create figurines for export around the world.

Article Tags: Hand Blown, Glass Figurines

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