Fused Glass Technology Creates New Dimension Lighting

Meyda Tiffany Lighting has traditionally been known for their beautiful hand made Tiffany style lighting using stained glass techniques originally created by Louis Comfort Tiffany at the turn of the 1900s.  But now they have roared on to the scene with new contemporary style products in their art glass line using a technique call “fused glass technology.” Fused glass lighting opens up a totally new dimension to Meyda Tiffany’s product lines.

This information is a brief description to shed new light on this unique technology for an appreciation of what goes into making a Meyda Tiffany’s fused lighting.

What is “fused technology?” Well, for starters, it’s not new. In fact, there is archeological evidence that the Egyptians used early forms of ‘fusing’ as far back as 2000 BC but researchers know the Romans were more developed as glass workers. At any rate, it was a long time ago. Fusing was the primary method of making small glass objects for approximately 2,000 years until the development of the glass blowpipe. Glassblowing largely all but replaced fusing because of its efficiency and utility.

During the Renaissance, glass working in general regained popularity but fusing was largely ignored until the early 20th century, particularly in the U.S. during the 1960s.

Compared to flat stained glass pieces, fused glass has no "lead lines".  Dimensional raised pieces can be created without having to cut and assemble hundreds of smaller pieces to form a uniformed design.

So, how’s it made? Fused glass consists mainly of silica. “Fusing” is a term used to describe glass that has been fired (heat-processed) in a kiln (a very hot and very large oven used for centuries) at a range of high temperatures from 593 °C (1100 °F) to 816 °C (1500 °F) and cooled in stages to produce different effects on the glass.

There are three main basic techniques:

Fused - Two or more pieces of glass are placed in the kiln and heated until they fuse together into a single piece creating beautiful designs.

Slumped - Glass is placed over a mold and heated until it slumps or drapes into a shape. Frequently the glass being slumped has design elements already fused to it.

Cast - Glass is melted so that it pours into a mold. Cast glass objects are typically thick and dimensional.

All of these fusing techniques are critical and can be applied to one glass work in separate firings to add depth, relief and shape.

Most contemporary fusing methods involve “stacking” which is layering thin sheets of glass over other colored layers of colored glass to create different beautiful patterns.  You can see this in the Meyda Tiffany’s sconce lighting. The stack is then placed inside the kiln and then heated through a series of rapid heating cycles (ramps) and holding the temperature at a specific point (soaks) until the separate pieces begin to bond together. The longer the kiln is held at the maximum temperature the more thoroughly the stack will fuse, eventually softening and smoothing the edges of the original shape.

Fused glass techniques are generally used to create glass tiles and jewelry, but a “slumping” process allows the creation of larger glass art pieces like dishes, bowls, plates and lights. The best examples of fused glass lighting for Meyda Tiffany’s sconce lighting are showcased at the TiffanyLampDeals.com store.