These 5.5 inch Finial ornaments are pear shaped. At the top, there is a small solid sphere which is connected to a larger hollow pear shape, giving the look of an angel with the silver iridescent glitter drape around the top. This lovely ornament will hang by invisible fishing line. Select this link to view our Glass Drop Finial Ornaments.
Christmas Ornaments.
The earliest Christmas ornaments consisted of edible goodies, typically fruits and nuts. Eventually cookies, candy and cakes were added as well as flowers and paper decorations. Select this link to view our Christmas Ornament Sets.
The first commercial ornaments for Christmas trees were actually hollow, brightly colored containers that held good things to eat. The most popular being the cornucopia. Select this link to view our Glass Christmas Ornaments.
When the goodies got too heavy for the tree, German glassblowers began manufacturing the first glass ornaments, which are the main feature of Christmas tree decorating today. Select this link to view our Chandelier Ornaments with Crystal Facets.
Glass Blowing Techniques.
Free Blowing.
This method held a pre eminent position in glass forming ever since its introduction in the middle of the first century B.C. until the late nineteenth century and is still widely used nowadays as a glass forming technique. The process of free blowing involves the blowing of short puffs of air into a molten portion of glass which is gathered at one end of the blowpipe. This has the effect of forming an elastic skin on the interior of the glass blob that matches the exterior caused by the removal of heat from the furnace. The glassworker can then quickly inflate the molten glass to a coherent blob and work it into a desired shape. Skilled workers are capable of shaping almost any vessel forms by rotating the pipe, swinging it and controlling the temperature of the piece while they blow. A great variety of glass objects, ranging from drinking cups to window glass, are produced by free blowing. Select this link to view our Teardrop Shaped Gold Ornament.
Mould Blowing.
Mould blowing was an alternate glassblowing method that came after the invention of free blowing, during the first part of the second quarter of the first century A.D. A gather of molten glass is placed on the end of the blowpipe which is then inflated into clay, wooden or metal craved moulds. In this way, the shape and the texture of the bubble of glass is determined by the design on the interior of the mould. Two types of moulds, namely single piece mould and multi piece mould, are frequently used to produce mould blown vessels. The former allows the finished glass object to be removed in one movement by pulling it upwards from the single piece mould and is largely employed to produce tableware and utilitarian vessels for storage and transportation. Whereas the latter is made in multi paneled moulds that join together, thus permitting the development of more sophisticated surface modeling, texture and design. Select this link to view our Red Spiral Glass Finial.