Term for the Day: Millefiori

From the Italian, meaning “a thousand flowers,” the glassmaking technique of millefiori has been employed for centuries, especially by Venetian glassmakers. Glass canes known as murrine are created from layers of multi-colored glass which are heated and stretched until they become long, delicate rods. These rods are then sliced, revealing the pattern within. The resulting beads or disks, when viewed from the top, resemble flowers.

The term millefiori was first used in 1849 by Apsley Pellatt in his book Curiosities of Glass Making. Prior to that, these disks were called “mosaic beads.” Millefiori can be used in clusters to create an infinite amount of designs on an sort of glassware. Their playful shapes and brilliant colors add a liveliness to the glasswork that became the signature of the craftsmen of Venice.