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Home > Brief History of Glass
The history of glass is quite old and full of mysteries. Ancient people have used a natural black volcanic glass and called it obsidian for arrowheads, knives, and tools and even for decorations. Emperor Nero (A.D. 37-68) even paid around 6,000 sesterces or around $2,500 for two small cups due to attraction by the beauty of glass.
glass is defined as an inorganic solid material typically translucent and may have different colors. It is hard, fragile and made to last to the effects of the wind, rain or sun. It has been used for various purposes such as to make coasters, bottles, mirrors, windows and many more. The shining brightness of glass derives from its rather peculiar properties. Each of the properties has a special function.
The time and the place of the discovery of the combination of materials and heat that creates glass are uncertain. It is believed to have been first made around 3000 BC during the Bronze Age.
It was the Phoenician merchants who were transporting stone actually discovered glass around 5000 BC in the region of Syria according to the ancient Roman historian Pliny. It tells how the merchants which landed on the region, rested cooking pots on blocks and due to extreme heat of fire, the blocks melted and formed an opaque liquid with the mixed of the sand of the beach.
Actually glass had been discovered a long time before 1200 B.C. A deep blue charm that is used to keep away evil spirits was the oldest man-made glass that has been found. This charm was dated by the archeologists at about 7000 B.C. All very early glass articles have been beads and inlays used for metal jewelry. It seems that glass appears to have been used first as a gem which is valued equally with the natural stones that primitive man considered precious.
The first drinking glass mugs and flasks were made from a sand-clay core. The core was molded in the kind of shape they want to form and held together with a piece of cloth fastened around a rod.
It has been around for thousands of years when the skill of melting and forming glass into flat and ornamental shapes started. The name of glass depends on the type materials and process used in forming the glass. The most popular term used for the majority of flat glass product creations is Soda-lime glass, while the typical specialty glass compositions are ceramic and borosilicate glasses. The term that applies to the most common flat glass production method is float glass. The sheet glass process is an earlier methodology that no longer exists in the United States wherein a ribbon of glass is pulled straightly out of the molten glass pool.
The first one to have advances in automating glass production was patented in 1848 by an English engineer named Henry Bessemer. He created a system that produced a continuous ribbon of flat glass by forming the ribbon between rollers. This was considered as an expensive process since the surfaces of the glass needed polishing. The glass can have a perfectly smooth body and this would cut costs significantly. In the U.S. there were several attempts made to form flat glass thru a molten tin bath and there were several patents were given recognition, but this process did not work.
At the end of the 19th century, Michael Owens (1859-1923), an American engineer, invented an automatic bottle blowing machine which arrived in Europe after the turn of the century. He was supported financially by E. D. L. Libbey, owner of the Libbey Glass Co. of Ohio. There were around 200 automatic Owend Libbey Suction Blow machines operating in the U.S. by the year 1920. While in Europe, smaller, more multipurpose machines that come from companies like O'Neill, Miller and Lynch were also well known.
Meanwhile, Irving W. Colburn who was been working on a machine that can continuously draw flat sheet glass since 1900, was supported by Libbey and Owens. They bought the patent of this machine in 1912 in which Owen developed and eventually in 1916 the Libbey-Owens Sheet Glass Company was opened to make window glass.
There was an added momentum in 1923 which was given to automatic production processes with the development of the gob feeder, which ensured the quick supply of more constantly sized gobs in bottle production. In 1925 IS (individual section) machines were soon developed. IS machines were used in combination with the gob feeders which allowed the synchronized production of a number of bottles from one piece of equipment. The combination of gob feeder-IS machine became the basis of most automatic glass container production today.
References:
1. http://www.palaceofglass.com/resources/industry/hiofglin.html2. http://www.glassonline.com/infoserv/history.html
3. http://inventors.about.com/od/gstartinventions/a/glass.htm
4. http://www.smartglassinc.com/glasshistory.html
Make Places Feel More Inviting with Japanese Noren
There is always something about a hanging Japanese noren that makes a place feel warmer and inviting. Also known as door hanging or Japanese doorway curtains, Japanese noren curtains are typically soft and thick rectangular tapestries, which are made of fabrics, like cotton, polyester, rayon, and linen. They are traditionally hung on the entrances and doorways of shops and restaurants and can be used in many ways, i.e., as signage, as soft fabric blinds that will help to screen spaces from the flow of dust from the road or to shield glass-walled interiors from the heat and glare of the sun, as space and room partitions, as a means of giving spaces a sense of privacy, and many more.
Being made of fabrics, which sometimes have the subtle sheen of silk, Japanese noren curtains are usually soft to touch and will delight you for their beautiful texture. Depending upon their fabric thickness, some Japanese noren can filter the flow of light without completely blocking your view of the outdoors. Thicker varieties, meanwhile, particularly those that are long, can even work as space dividers that can help to keep the heat or cold of your air-conditioning equipment enclosed inside an intended space. And, just like curtains, fabric blinds, and all your other functional decorating implements,you can use your Japanese noren to give your indoor and outdoor spaces many different kinds of looks.
Maintain the Privacy of Spaces Even With Open Doors
Japanese noren curtains are easily hung by feeding a curtain rod, like a curtain rod, thin bamboo pole, or a long wooden dowel, through the loops or pockets, which are sewn on their top. They also feature one or more slits for easy viewing and passage. Unlike most curtains, they are designed to be hung without folds around the rod and they are available in various lengths – from the short Japanese noren curtains, which you can hang like valances or signs on the doorways, entryways, and windows, to the long Japanese noren, which are excellent at maintaining the privacy of a room even when the doors are open because they hang long enough to partially or fully cover the doorway.
With proper care, your Japanese noren will actually last for a very long time. Hang them in areas where they are not directly exposed to the sunlight, hand-wash them regularly to get rid of any dust and dirt that will reduce their color, especially of their silkscreen-painted design.
Create an Abundance of Colorful, Japanese-Style Looks
Create an abundance of colorful looks and Japanese-style decorating themes with these Japanese noren curtains! Whether you simply love Japanese noren or thinking of bringing a beautiful kind of art – especially one that can multitask as soft fabric screens – into your space, like the living room of your home, the sitting room of your office, mansion, or building, the dining area of your restaurant, and the entryway to your patio, garden, or veranda, KimonoRobeStore.com is here to guarantee that you will find the perfect Japanese noren for you.
Looking for a Feng Shui noren, an Asian tapestry that will provide a rich color palette to your decorating theme, a high-quality reproduction of a Japanese or Asian painting, or a noren with a distinctive Japanese style, a seasonal flair, a fun or playful appeal, or a modern look? Trust that GlassCoasterStore.com has these Japanese noren, Asian tapestry, or genuine Asian home decor for you to choose from!
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Shopping your genuine Japanese noren here on GlassCoasterStore.com, you will actually see how these enduring Asian tapestries highlight the Japanese artistry and were masterfully crafted to color and beautify every place you bring them in. Thus, it is easy to love them at first sight because of the high-definition prints of their design on beautifully textured, often heavyweight, high-quality fabrics. So, don't hesitate to settle for just one – collect Japanese noren in all your custom designs for a themed look, as ready extra to hang on extraordinary days, or to send as Asian gifts for very special friends and loved ones.
All our Japanese noren is ready to ship. Shipping to your destination within the 48 contiguous states of the United States is also available for your order. With our drop-shipping and international shipping offers, you can also send your Japanese noren order directly to your customers or to their lucky recipients here in the United States or to international locations, which are covered by our international shipping destinations. So, shop away because GlassCoasterStore.com makes it so easy for you to shop these Japanese noren and all the other Asian home decor that we have in-store in just a few clicks! Happy shopping!
Interesting Facts and History of the Japanese Noren
Traditionally, businesses hang a noren outside of the door as a sign that their shop is open. They are always removed or hung inside the door at the end of the business day to mean that their shop is closed. While giving shops a unique persona, noren also acts as a welcome sign and a promotional tool that attracts with its color and design.
The Japanese noren is deeply stitched within the heart, history, and culture of Japan. It was during the Jomon Period (13000 - 300 BC), many thousands of years ago, when the Japanese started to adapt their use as Nanren or door hanging. Using large leaves, long grasses, and reeds, people would hang them at the doorways of their homes and temples as windbreakers for protection from the sun, wind, and dust.
During the Heian Period (794 - 1192), people started to make noren as rectangular tapestries with a slit using fabrics, like hemp. They were also utilized as everyday implements, particularly as door hangings and partitions for large rooms. The Muromachi Period (1392 - 1573) had seen the evolution of the Japanese noren as a tool for trade and recognition when the Japanese shops started to hang them at the entrance of the stores with their business name, logo, products, or services while families would decorate them noren with their family name.
Over the centuries, the noren was also called by many names, like Nanren, Nauren, and Nohren. Its purpose and design have also attracted many individuals and businesses alike, thus more than door hangings, door signs, and promotional tools, they are cherished as canvas for works for art, as multipurpose tapestries for decorating the inside and outside of homes and business places, Asian decor, and a lot more.
