| Hand blown glass figurines are still as sought after as | | | | not done correctly, but once mastered, gathering is |
| ever. These gorgeous pieces are collected all over the | | | | quick and easy to do. Next, the glass is then rolled. This |
| world and they come in all styles and designs. The | | | | is done quickly on a steel table before the glass has a |
| Russian glass animal figurines are some of the most | | | | chance to cool. The next step is the blowing. Air is |
| popular and highly desired pieces around today. You | | | | blown by mouth into the glass and a glass bubble |
| can find almost every animal imaginable recreated and | | | | begins to form. It's during this stage that the glass in |
| blow as a glass figurine. The cat figurines and dog | | | | shaped. |
| figurines are some of the most popular, but many folks | | | | There are a number of additional tools such as blocks |
| enjoy collecting all kinds of animals, anything from small | | | | and paddles used to shape figurines. The blower will |
| horse figurines to larger tiger figurines. There are so | | | | then add more and more glass until he/she has enough |
| many to choose from, you're bound to find perfect | | | | for their figurine project. Once the piece is removed |
| animal figurine for you. | | | | from the blow pipe it is placed on a annealer and left |
| The tradition of glass blowing has been around for | | | | to slowly cool and to set. In order to add colors to the |
| many centuries and is one of the oldest known art | | | | glass, and to create intricate designs, there are a |
| forms. Glass was even being blown in BC times, but it | | | | number of other equally complicated techniques |
| wasn't until many centuries later that the glass figurines | | | | needed. This process is very difficult to learn, specialist |
| we see today were first created. This more | | | | equipment is needed, so it's best to leave this to the |
| sophisticated hand blown technique is still used today in | | | | master glass blowers. |
| Russia and other countries around the world to create | | | | Most modern glassware is now created quickly in |
| delicate glass figurines. | | | | molds, but this original blowing technique is still used |
| The blowing process starts with the gathering of the | | | | today, to create many glass figurines. You'll find that |
| glass. During this stage the blower collects molten | | | | the best hand glass blowers are in Russia. The art |
| glass from the red hot furnace with a rod. This tricky | | | | forms remains popular there, and many workshops still |
| manoeuvre can be very painful and dangerous if it's | | | | create figurines for export around the world. |