Murano Millefiori glass has rich history and appeals to everyone who appreciates Venetian artistry, rich tradition of Murano Glass craftsmanship, and world-famous Italian design. Perfected by Murano island's glass artisans over many generations, the technique of Millefiori (which means "a thousand flowers" in Italian) has remained virtually unchanged since when it was first rediscovered by Venetian masters in the sixteenth century. Attempting to imitate colorful Roman "murrina" or millefiori glassware, Murano masters have experimented with various methods and techniques until they were able to create glass canes with specific designs showing up on the cross-section. From that point all that was left was to cut these canes into little pieces, and then use the pieces of various canes, each with its own design, to create Murano Millefiori vases, bowls, sculptures, goblets, tumblers, and jewelry. In this video you can see how an experienced Murano Glass master in his family workshop on Murano island creates a Millefiori slipper. These beautiful fairy-tale slippers, with millefiori multicolor pattern called Arlecchino in Venice, are handcrafted using nothing but basic tools, liquid glass mixture, and cut-up pieces of Millefiori canes. Rich, colorful, and unique, they are accented with 24K gold leaf, and their sparkly beauty brings to mind Arabian Nights and princess stories. They make a wonderful sentimental gift to someone who values the artistic and artisanal appeal of Murano Glass and appreciates old world elegance and style.
