interesting news mirror

interesting news mirror __ The history of mirrors starts in the III Century B.C. Most ancient mirrors were made from metal and had a round shape. The back side of the ancient mirrors was beautifully embellished with ornamentation. Mirrors were made from highly polished bronze and silver. The first glass mirrors were invented in I Century by Romans.

From ancient times special qualities had been given to mirrors, that no other object had. The Greek philosopher Socrates gave advice to young men to look at themselves in the mirror, and those who were handsome should focus their life on keeping their souls clean and stay away from the temptations of life that could take them on the wrong path. If a young man would find that he is not handsome, he should compensate for his look from his heart, and get known for doing a lot of good things. 

In Medieval period glass mirrors completely disappeared, because during those times religious confessions stated that devil is looking and watching the world from the opposite side of a glass mirrors. Poor fashionable ladies had to use a polished metal mirrors or special water bowls instead of glass mirrors.

Glass mirrors came back only in 13th century. This time they were bended slightly outward. The method of attaching tin to the flat surface of the glass wasn't invented yet. Using available technology master glaziers poured hot tin into glass tubs, and then, after the tin was cold, they would brake it into separate pieces.

Only three centuries later Venetian masters invented a "flat mirror technique". They figured out how to attach tin to a flat glass surface. Venetian masters invented another trick. They created a special reflective mixture in which gold and bronze was added. Because of this "magical" mixture all objects reflecting in the mirrors looked much more beautiful than in reality. The cost of one Venetian mirror then was comparable to the cost of the large naval ship.

In a city of Nuremberg (Germany) in 1373 the first mirror manufacturing plant was open. Mirrors were then aggressively integrated in all aspects of life. In the 16th century mirrors become a part of mysterious rituals and witchcraft. Also, for 200 years mirrors were used by Spanish and French spies for coding and decoding secret messages. This secret coding system was introduced in 15th century by Leonardo da Vinci. The scriptures were coded in "mirror reflection" and without the mirror it was impossible to read the message. Mirrors were part of another big invention of the time - the periscope. The opportunity to discreetly spy on ones enemy by using a system of interactive mirrors saved a lot of lives during wars. During the famous Thirty Year war, mirrors were used by all sides to blind the enemy during military actions with bright reflection of sun light. It was very hard to take aim when your eyes are blinded by thousands of tiny mirrors.

Starting with 12th century no respectful lady left her house without a small mirror. Handheld mirrors and pears mirrors became a must have items for every woman. Ladies wore gold embellished mirrors on a chain around their neck or waist, inserted mirrors in to the fens. Mirrors were treated just like precious jewelry, and were incased in specially crafted exotic materials like turtle shell or elephant bone frames. Some of the mirror's frames were made from gold or silver with an elegant miniature engravings. 

In the 15th century the Venetian Island of Murano become the center of glass making and was known as the "Isle of Glass". They officially created the "Council of Ten" with a special mission of vigorously protecting the secrets of there glass making techniques. Masters glassmakers were secretly transported to the island of Murano undercover as a firefighters. The "Council of Ten" generously supported glassmakers and at the same time kept them isolated from the rest of the world. The profits from the mirror making monopoly were too large to take any risks. European monarchs at whatever it cost tried to find out the Venetian glassmaking secrets. They accomplish this goal in 17th century, when Colbert (the minister of Ludwig XIV) bribed with gold three Murano masters and transported them in to France.

The French happened to be a good students, and very quickly they not only mastered Murano glass making techniques, but invented they're own. While mirror making techniques used by Venetian masters was based on a glassblowing, French masters started manufacturing mirrors using casting techniques based on pouring glass into the cast molds. The glass was poured directly from the dome into perfectly smooth surface of the cast mold, and then, as the glass was cooling, it was rolled with the special rollers achieving a perfect consistency and smoothness of material. Immediately after this invention, in Versailles the construction of the Mirrors Gallery began. The Mirrors Gallery was 220 feet (73 meters) long and embellished with 306 huge mirrors.

On the end of 16th century, following the high fusion style, French queen Maria De Medici decided to create for herself a Mirrored office. For this matter, 119 mirrors was purchased from Venice. Maybe because her purchase was so large, or for some other reason, Venetian masters created a special gift for the queen of France - a unique large mirror generously incrusted with precious stones. Till this day this mirror is preserved and kept in the Louvre in Paris. 

Mirrors become a popular valuable collectibles among royals. English King Hendry VIII and the King of France Francis I were the most known mirrors collectors of there time. Trying to catch up with kings, nobles in France had to have an extravagant mirrors in any cost. There is a knowing facts that some of them had to sell one of they residents in order to purchase a single beautiful mirror. Mirrors were extremely costly. For example one mirror cost more than an Rafael's painting of the same size.

In 17th century Russia, mirrors were considered a sin. In 1666 the Orthodox Church in prohibited the possession of mirrors by its priests. From this time on a lot of superstitions surrounded mirrors. Those superstitions seems to us funny  and naive, but back than people took it very seriously. Breaking a mirror, for example, was sign of bad lack for seven years. That is why when a mirror was broken the person who broke it should apologies to the mirror for clumsiness, and had to carefully and respectfully bury it. Solders took mirrors-talismans to reflect away death.

Mirrors have had a long and colorful journey throughout history. In our days there is no home without a mirror. Mirrors have become part of our everyday routine, often unappreciated. We always should remember "reflect" and respect the historical aspects of mirrors and appreciate more not only mirror's functionality, but incredible esthetical value of the mirrors

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special mirror caravan spiegels

special mirror caravan spiegels __ Venetian glass production dates back to 982, with a document that makes reference to a bottle maker called Dominicus Phiolarius (from it. fiole: bottles). In 1090 a Petrus Flabianicus was also mentioned. But already in 450, in the Venetian lagoon and in the surroundings there were glass-workers that produced the tesseras for the mosaics of the local churches. However, no Venetian glass preceding the XVth century has arrived to us, while the glass of the Islamic art arrived to Venice from Constantinopole after the IVth Crusade (1204), is kept in the Treasure of St. Mark. 

The development of Venetian glass factories was quick: in 1271 a first “capitulary” was introduced to regulate the art of glass making. The importation of foreign glass into Venice was forbidden and foreign glass makers were prevented from working in the city. The Guild of glass makers was under the authority and protection of the Republic, and their formulas were highly valued and kept strictly secret. These “partite” or recipes, were handed down from father to son and transcribed into secret books. In fact these secret techniques were of such great importance as to make the difference between the glass produced in Venice and that of other European glass centres. 

In 1291 in order to counter the risk of fire, all of the furnaces of Venice were moved to the island of Murano, where the art of glass has been kept alive (till today). In 1295 another strict "capitulary" was issued: in it the emigration of Venetian glass makers abroad was forbidden. 

The continuous development of glass industry and art in Murano required a modification of the statutes of 1271 which led up to the “Mariegola dell’arte dei verieri da Muran”, in 1441. Venice got an indirect knowledge of “enamelled” glass of Syrian origins that influenced enormously the creation of those goblets and stem glasses with enamel decoration that date back to the XIVth and XVth century, like Aldrevandin’s glass and the one kept in Switzerland in the Cathedral of Coira. 

The decoration of Venetian glass was also influenced by the craftsmen arrived from the Middle East, after the Fall of Damascus in 1400 and of Constantinopoles in 1435, which closed definively the history of the Roman Empire.Towards the half of the XVth century, above all because of these external influences, the production of glass with dark colours decorated and painted with bright coloured enamel was successful. 

At the mid of the XVth century, a perfect clear, flawless glass was produced by Angelo Barovier which became called “vetro cristallo” or "cristallo veneziano". The chemical composition of this kind of glass allowed complex and long works typical of the Murano tradition. The Venetian factories that made goblets, glasses, dishes, bowls etc., exported their objects all around Europe, where the elegance and lightness of this material was appreciated.

Venice kept protecting the secret of the production of glass and of crystal but, notwithstanding it, the Republic partially lost its monopoly at the end of the XVIth century, because of some glass makers (e.g. Verzelini) who let the secret be known in many European countries. Venice reacted to this competition producing more and more original objects, with fancier and more exuberant decorations: glasses and goblets with handles and decorated by figures of animals, “acquerecce” and “versatoi” (jugs and ewers) ship-shaped, entirely made of glass, fruit-stands supported and decorated by serpents, dragons, sea-horses, dolphins.

In the XVIth century the quest for new materials led to the realization of an opaque white glass called "lattimo" (from it. latte: milk). Subsequently the "filigree" and the "retorti" glass were created; in 1527 Filippo Catani patented the "zanfirico" (or "retorti") filigree with milky canes included in cristal and twisted as spiral. Those techniques represent a simbol of the classic Murano glass till today. 

Towards the end of the XVIIth century and in the XVIIIth, the production of mirrors imposed itself: mirrors were all pretty small, because they were made out of sheets of blown glass, unlike those of other countries which were melted in big surfaces and then polished. These mirrors were decorated with cut figures or enriched by big glass frames or with coloured glass applications. 

In the XVIIIth century there was the rise of Giuseppe Briati’s industry: he created the a ciocche chandelier. As consequence of the political collapse with the fall of the Republic, the economic crisis and the foreign dominations, between the end of the XVIIIth century and the mid of XIXth didn’t produce anything new in the artistic field, and the glass factories were content with the production of beads for necklaces and rosaries.

It is in 1840 Pietro Bigaglia breathed new life into the art glass production, also creating the innovating millefiori paperweight. With the end of the XIXth century, Murano re-started pratice of art glass, reviving the tecniques of its past. During this part of the century was born a new generation of master glassmakers focused to re-lerning the manual and technical skills which until just a few years before might seemed lost. 

In the following century some glass factories led by craftsmen or industrialists like Venini, Barovier, Salviati, Toso, Cenedese, Barbini (and many others)., abandoned the repetitive production, which used to copy the shapes of the past, to create a big variety of artistic glass upon new designs, thanks to innovative contemporary artists.

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Address : Jln. Bonang 3 RT 2 RW 2, Joyotakan, Serengan, Surakarta, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia, Indonesia 57157Owner : Prima Warsa BaruPhone :  +62 888 6 827 827Email : sales@jagomerahcraft.comFanpage Facebook : jagomerahcraft