Milifiori:
Milifriori glass objects were inspired by Roman glass work and perfected in the late 19t century in Verona and Venice. Though seen in plates and vases it's most elegant and mind blowing examples were created as paperweights. "Milli" in this case as in other translates as "thousands". The process is hard even for the most accomplished glass makers and has remained mainly the province of Verona and Venice in Italy. The process involves the creation of a myriad number of floral patterns achieved individually on rods, then combined in clear glass. There are lots of examples under the name on the net. I first ran across them in a standing display in the DaYoung museum in San Francisco. This one would be, I'm guessing about three to four inches across and 1-1/2 to 2-inches thick. They remind me of fractals, but are not. Here's a paperweight.
Milifriori glass objects were inspired by Roman glass work and perfected in the late 19t century in Verona and Venice. Though seen in plates and vases it's most elegant and mind blowing examples were created as paperweights. "Milli" in this case as in other translates as "thousands". The process is hard even for the most accomplished glass makers and has remained mainly the province of Verona and Venice in Italy. The process involves the creation of a myriad number of floral patterns achieved individually on rods, then combined in clear glass. There are lots of examples under the name on the net. I first ran across them in a standing display in the DaYoung museum in San Francisco. This one would be, I'm guessing about three to four inches across and 1-1/2 to 2-inches thick. They remind me of fractals, but are not. Here's a paperweight.