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glassblowing
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Several glassblowing pipes inserted into the glowing openings of a furnace, their tips being heated for glasswork. Hand-crafted Murano glass in various hues, including shades of red, blue, and purple put on display. Glassblower shaping molten glass by blowing slowly through a long pipe. Okayama, Japan An artisan in beige clothing shapes molten glass with tools on a metal rod inside a workshop on Murano island, with brick walls and equipment in the background. A glowing orange mass of molten glass is attached to the end of a glassblowing rod inside a workshop.
Why cold glass can't flow
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Several glassblowing pipes inserted into the glowing openings of a furnace, their tips being heated for glasswork.
Glassblowing Blowpipes being heated in a furnace.

glassblowing

Also known as: glass blowing
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

glassblowing, the practice of shaping a mass of glass that has been softened by heat by blowing air into it through a tube. It can be used to create artistic pieces by hand and to mass-produce commercial goods through automated processes. Glass beads shaped using stone-cutting techniques have been found in the remains of the ancient Mesopotamian civilization, dating to the 25th century ʙᴄᴇ. As far back as the 16th century ʙᴄᴇ, ancient Egyptians worked...

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