A TIME FOR GLASS
Once, perle di vetro—“glass pearls”—were born: little glass hearts that journeyed across the world, serving as beads, as a medium of trade between continents, and as precious ornaments for traditional dress.
Made in the workshops of Murano, in the Republic of Venice, these refined glass pieces were strung into necklaces that elegantly complemented Romanian attire. Worn from the late 19th to the early 20th century, they were captured by photographers and now remain in archives as vivid records of a singular fashion.
Hand-made using centuries-old techniques, the beads retain the charm of traditional craft, where every detail speaks of mastery. Careful workmanship yields one-of-a-kind pieces with subtle variations in color and texture. Many come from historic Murano stock, produced with rare, bygone pigments. Techniques range from the famed fiorato, millefiori, and sommerso to braided latticino—some representing the very pinnacle of the craft.
Today, the small DRAGAICA ROȘIE studio, within the TIMELESS JEWELRY line, works with vintage Murano beads—often unused originals—to recreate ornaments of earlier times, meant to be worn alongside textile jewelry. We pay homage to the artisans who first shaped them in the 19th century and are grateful to keep finding glass pieces from the same era as historical garments, bringing together ensembles that are united in style and time.
image credits:
Charles Frederick Ulrich (1858–1908) — Glass Blowers of Murano (1886), ulei pe lemn, 66,4 × 53,7 cm — cultură: americană — The American Wing — The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York — Credit Line: Gift of Several Gentlemen, 1886 — Object Number: 86.13.
Fernand Cormon — A Forge (1893), ulei pe pânză / oil on canvas — Impresionism / Impressionism — Musée d’Orsay, Paris / Bridgeman Images — ID: 63597.
Alfred Sisley — Fierăria din Marly-le-Roi, Yvelines / The Forge at Marly-le-Roi, Yvelines (1875), ulei pe pânză / oil on canvas — Impresionism / Impressionism — Musée d’Orsay, Paris / Bridgeman Images — ID: 54183.
Impronta – The Venice Glass Week (2024), imagine din antet / header image — foto: Jackson Hawkins; în colaborare cu Ars Murano — courtesy The Venice Glass Week.
