Glass Blown Vases - Identifying Genuine Hand Blown Glass Vases

Glass blown vases are beautiful pieces of art. They are hand blown and thus tend to be more expensive than heat-worked glass.

Aside from vases, blown glass is used for accessories and decorative pieces such as bowls, perfume bottles, paperweights, and sculptures. They can also be used for lighting accessories such as candle holders and lamps among others.

The art of glass blowing actually started as early as 50 BC in Syria. However, it wasn’t until the medieval period that Venetian workers mastered it. Workers from the island of Murano learned how to
make hand blown glass ornaments.

Strangely, no development occurred in this industry from the 17th century to the mid 20th century. It was in the 1960s when professors at the Toledo Art Museum revived the art of glass blowing by holding
workshops for experimentation. A few years later, the world renowned artist Dale Chihuly joined the scene.

More and more artists practiced the art of glass blowing, which has now become the fastest growing art form in North America. Blown glass vases come in various shapes, sizes, patterns, and colorful designs. Whether you want clear glass, painted or swirled glass, green glass, or cobalt blue glass, there’s surely one that will suit your taste.

The beauty of blown Venetian glass vases has sparked the interest of collectors. If you want to add these to your gallery or collection then you should know how to tell a hand blown glass vase from one that is heat-worked.

Pointers For Buying Glass Blown Vases

1. Check the vase for color striations or bubbles. If these are present then the vase is glass blown. It’s not if there are several colors in a solid piece.
2. A blown glass vase has 2 or more striations or bubbles within the glass.
3. The lip of a hand blown glass vase has a place where it seems pinched. This marks the place where the maker cut the glass off from the rod while it was still soft.
4. If the vase has a handle, you can tell it is hand blown if the ends of the handle have a pinched look. The attachment of the handle should not look smooth.
5. Look for seams where the hand blown vase may have been assembled. Angular vases that have no seams are not hand blown.
6. The vase is not hand blown if it has a very complex and perfect shape that requires accurate measurements.

If you’re a serious glass blown vases collector and the credibility and validity of the glass artist is important for you then you can do the following:

• Look for the maker’s mark. This is usually found at the bottom of the vase, on the handle, or beneath the vase. Makers usually place their mark on the part they consider as the back of the vase.
• Once you’ve seen the mark, take a snapshot of it or make a drawing of it, so you can use it in your research.
• You can find out if the mark belongs to a glass artist who makes blown glass by researching in the library or the Internet. Another way you can verify this is by seeking the advice of a good art
appraiser.

Natural is always the best. Hand blown glass is glass at its finest, and so are glass blown vases.