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These early glass mirrors were made by blowing a glass bubble, and then cutting off a small circular section from 10 to 20 cm in diameter. Their surface was either concave or convex, and imperfections tended to distort the image. Lead-coated mirrors were very thin to prevent cracking by the heat of the molten metal.
In the early 10th century, the Persian scientist al-Razi described ways of silvering and gilding in a book on alchemy, [citation needed] but this was not done for the purpose of making mirrors. Tin-coated mirrors were first made in Europe in the 15th century. The thin tinfoil used to silver mirrors was known as "tain". [5]
Bronze mirrors were produced in China from Neolithic times until Western glass mirrors were brought to China. Bronze mirrors were usually circular, with one side polished bright, to give a reflection, and the reverse side normally decorated in cast relief in early examples, later on sometimes inlaid in precious metal. They generally had a knob ...
The center for luxury Italian glassmaking from the 14th century was the island of Murano, which developed many new techniques and became the center of a lucrative export trade in dinnerware, mirrors, and other items. What made Venetian Murano glass significantly different was that the local quartz pebbles were almost pure silica, and were ...
Silvered "mercury" glass is considered one of the first true "art glass" types, that is, glass that was made for display and for its inherent artistic value rather than for utilitarian use. Authentic antique silvered glass pieces are still available in a wide range of decorative items and usually sold as mercury glass.
Mathews also notes that you should carefully look to see if any repairs have been made to the mirror over the years. Mathews explains, "A mirror that has its original frame, glass, and back will ...
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Although glass was made at Jamestown, production was soon suspended because of strife in the colony. A second attempt at Jamestown also failed. Later attempts to produce glass were made during the 1600s; glass works in New Amsterdam and the Colony of Massachusetts Bay had some success. In the 17th century, at least two New Amsterdam glass ...