Collection: Blown Glass Art

Although blown glass arrived in Mexico with the Spanish in the 16th century, today Mexican artisans have developed their own and very characteristic style incorporating typical shapes and colors, such as spanish green, deep pink and cobalt blue. As time went by, they became great master glassmakers.

Glass is a mixture of silica sand, sodium carbonate and limestone that is melted in ovens at high temperatures (between 900 and 3000 °F) to obtain a thick and easy-to-mold mass with a consistency of honey or molasses. Next, the master craftsman blows with a metal tube called "cane", forming air bubbles in the molten glass, following their inspiration they shape these bubbles using different types of tweezers and scissors. Finally, the finishes such as handles or bases are placed and baked for about eight hours to give it hardness.

Since molten glass is fragile and has a high temperature, the blown glass technique requires great skills, hence the need for several artisans to get involved in the making of some pieces. Most Mexican artisans use recycled glass so it is difficult for the pieces to achieve 100% transparency.

Because the manufacturing process is done by hand, the pieces normally have bubbles inside. Blown glass, with proper care, is more resistant and durable than ordinary glass.