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History of glass in the history of mankind. The invention and manufacture of glass

As you know, the glass that we use in everyday life is an artificial material. But he has a natural analog - obsidian. It is a frozen volcanic lava or a fused rock. It was obsidian used by primitive people to make various cutting tools, as well as ornaments.

The man-made glass, whose history of origin will be discussed below, initially differed little from the natural one. It could not boast of either beauty or transparency.

History of the invention of glass: legends and speculations

Ancient researcher Pliny the Elder leads in his works the information that artificial glass appeared thanks to travelers who cooked food on the sandy shore and used a piece of natural soda as a stand under the boiler. The next day, a glass crust was found on the outer walls of the boiler. The hypothesis of Pliny was refuted only in the 20th century. Scientists have proved that it is impossible to smelt glass on an open fire. However, already several thousand years ago, the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia learned to melt glass in pits. The temperature in these primitive furnaces was high enough to create new material from sand, alkali and lime. However, the first man-made glass, most likely, was really created by chance in the process of making pottery.

The Ancient Technologies

The history of glass in the history of mankind has more than 4 thousand years. Images and artifacts found in the tombs of the pharaohs give an idea of the ancient ways of production and taste preferences of the Egyptians. Thus, glass was originally used as a glaze for pottery. Also made from it were beads, bottles and pendants. The Egyptians, unlike the residents of Mesopotamia, preferred opaque glass. It was stained with metal oxides in blue, violet, yellow and other colors. Only officials and people of royal blood could afford glassware. Small objects were made by the following method: a clay core was placed on a metal rod, on which a hot glass was wound.

The large ones were made as follows: the mold was placed in a glass mass and turned. The glass settled on a thin layer on the walls and hardened, and the mold was subsequently removed.

Evolution of production. Antiquity

The history of the appearance of glass (man-made, of course) is reflected in many museum collections. Considering the collections of Egyptian antiquities, we can conclude that the oldest products did not differ in complexity. The details were melted separately and adhered to the main volume. Egyptians also practiced the production of mosaic (dial) glass, which was used to decorate furniture. This technique was adopted several centuries later by the Romans. In addition, shortly before the beginning of our era, artisans from Alexandria invented a glass blowing pipe. With her help, a bubble was blown out of the hot mass and gradually shaped into it with various special tools. In addition to free blowing, in antiquity the blowing in the matrix has become widespread. Sometimes the masters used a whole complex of forms, from which they then collected the finished product. The method made it possible to manufacture complex glass structures. Moreover, the Romans learned to glaze the windows. The antique window glass was rather cloudy and very thin and cast (presumably) in flat shapes.

The Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Achievements of the Venetians

The Romans promoted the spread of glassmaking in Europe. True, local (in particular, Cologne) products inferior in quality to the east, but German masters invented sheet glass. In composition, it differed little from the modern. Masters from Venice went even further. The history of glass in the history of mankind is inconceivable without the contribution of the Venetians. They purposefully worked on improving the properties of the material and achieved its exceptional transparency. The policy of protectionism in relation to local production has borne fruit: the local crystal was highly valued in Europe.

In addition to glassware and sheet glass, Venetian craftsmen made lenses for glasses and mirrors. Almost half of the city's population was engaged in glass making. The workshops were even transferred to the island of Murano in order to avoid city fires and information leakage. Of course, the Venetians had competitors, first of all, Genoese artisans. But the analogue of Murano glass was received by the Englishman John Ravenkroft only in the 17th century.

The history of the appearance of glass in Russia. Craft development

In Russia this expensive material came from Byzantium. In the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, archaeologists excavated workshops of glassmakers related to the 11th century. But the products remained few, the secrets of skill were lost. Therefore it is difficult to guess whether there was a Russian history of glass. In the history of mankind it often happened that many things had to be invented anew. The revival of the craft happened only in the 17th century (in 1639), when the Swede J. Koyet built a factory near the capital for the production of window panes and pharmacy utensils. Thirty years later, the Izmailovo Plant was established. Here, luxury goods were manufactured , mainly exquisite "amusing" cups after the model of the Venetian ones.

In the 18th century a number of glass factories were operating in the vicinity of St. Petersburg. The colored glass was reinvented. The products were painted with gold and silver, decorated with transparent and opaque enamels.

Modern glassmaking

In the 18-19 centuries the history of glass in the history of mankind was determined by the industrial revolution. Throughout Europe, the production process was improving. New furnaces appeared, technologies of drawing and mass processing changed. Plants were built, the products of which were oriented to the layman, and not to the reigning individuals. In other words, the glass became available. By the beginning of the 20th century, in the central part of Russia, there were many small enterprises producing dishes and sheet glass. True, they could not meet growing needs: the volume of imports remained high.

In 1959, English technologists invented a new way of stretching and leveling glass in a bath with molten tin. It was called the "float-method". This technology, somewhat modernized, is also used in modern production.

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