Large Antique Goblet Made Of Ruby-red Blown Glass, Murano, Circa 1940

A large decorative goblet whose visual impact is amplified by its unusual height and the intensity of its ruby red color.The wide, flat base ensures stability despite the object’s considerable height.

Technical note on how Murano glassmakers achieve the ruby-red color: ruby red is one of the most difficult colors to master in glassmaking.It is achieved by adding gold salts (often gold chloride) to the glass mixture.In the presence of a reducing agent (usually tin or charcoal), the gold forms metallic nanoparticles that scatter light and produce the ruby hue.The color only appears after a second firing (re-firing), when the gold particles stabilize.
Temperature control is crucial: excessive heat burns the color, turning it smoky brown; too little heat produces a purplish-brown hue.
For this reason, Murano’s master glassmakers consider ruby red a capricious color: it requires perfect control of the furnace and the master glassmaker’s extensive experience.