Tag: Murano

When our customers see our fabulous Murano Glass Beads, they always think about a shape that works for them. So one of the questions we get often is. Does it come in…..?

Well that Depends…

We have to stop and think because our bead makers don’t have a catalog with a finite list of what is made. Everything is made to order after we sit down with them and go over what we want, what worked on our last shipment and what we need to improve and we determine they have the tools and right glass to make the beads.And we write it down, we take pictures, we cross our fingers.

For anyone who tells you they go to Venice and handpick their beads, they are choosing from a selection of left-overs which either didn’t make it into the jewelry sold in Venice or was left over from a large buyer like us. It doesn’t make sense to store beads, it is easier to store canes and make the beads when you need them.

The Short Answer:

So for us the short answer is: It comes in anything we want to make.

Granted there are some things we make better than others. And to make it may involve having new tooling made by an old master. And there is the question of how many you want? It is not practical to develop a new tool for a few beads – unless it just is a really good idea.

Believe me 3d printing would be a blessing for us, it just hasn’t arrived in Murano yet (or maybe ever?). We purchase the tools for our beads in many cases, having them made in the old machine shops in Murano. They may not have the latest equipment, but they understand glass blowing and bead making.

Sample Cards:

What we all have are “sample” cards like the one on the right with lots of markups and additions. It’s not our invention, these date back as early as the Venetians began trading beads. 

We have our book of Moretti Colors and we hope that the next batch turns out to be the same color.  We study the canes and beads in the sunlight to be sure we have the right shade.

Some colors are always good. Red, well not so often. There is something totally unreliable about red. When it is really red, it is fabulous and it sparkles in the flame. But then without warning the next batch will turn dark as garnet.

We have shapes – they come from the tools lining the wall, so if we have the tool with a particular beadmaker, then the question is only decoration. 

Decorations:

There are of course the standard beads, 24kt Gold Foil Beads, .925 Sterling Silver Foil, White Gold Foil, Sommerso, Nuvola, Millefiori but even with these you must be sure you specify the correct Effetre color – or hope the bead maker know what color you last bought.

Bead Card Collections

Collectors of old beads all have these tattered and stained cards in their prized possession and they sell for very large sums among these collectors. Below is a card from a family in Venice dating back to the 18th Century.

Before the Internet?

How about before the telephone, the fax, when Murano gained a foothold in Africa. The great grandson of one of the early “African Trade Bead” business tells us the story of how this entrepreneur would receive a letter in Murano which had been traveling for 3 months having left Africa on a steamer.

Slow Boat to?

It would be a request for information. He would in turn send our several bead cards, again taking ~3 months to arrive and he would wait for a reply. Months later the written order would arrive and hopefully with the payment because international banking was still in its infancy. So an average order took 9 months to 1 year even to get on the books. There certainly were no “Returns” and a great deal of trust on both sides.

The development of the phone, fax and inter-bank transfers were a boon to this small, cottage industry.

To the right are a group of these antique Bead Cards when they were on display at Abate Zanetti in Murano.

So our Final Answer

Yes, it does come in that, how many do you want?
Google

Masks played an important role in the history of La Serenissima, the Republic of Venice and are synonymous with the Carnevale (Carnival) Festival whose roots are both religious and secular. A very orderly society, the ruling body of Venice, The Great Council had written rules on when the citizens could wear masks as early as 1339 a.d.

Masks were allowed by the Venetian Republic to be worn (1) between Santo Stefano (26 December) and Shrove Tuesday marking the beginning of Lent, (2) again on Ascension Day and (3) for the period of  5 October until Christmas.

With this number of days when one could wear a masks, the makers of the masks became important and were given their own guild in 1436 a.d.  

The masks were essential in the politics of La Serenissima, for hidden behind the masks, everyone was allowed a voice, not only to voice their political points, but often to tattle on their neighbors or enemies or used to spy. Behind the masks, servants and ordinary citizens could speak their mind without fear. You might say that the masks were the original vehicle for free speech, not written into law, yet protected by the anonymous.

In the 13th Century, the Great Council made it a crime to throw eggs. Persons wearing masks were forbidden to gamble or to wear false beards. In later centuries, Women were required to wear masks at the theatre. These we known as Dama and had only holes for eyes, presumably to keep the ladies from speaking (or eating and drinking) and guaranteed complete anonymity. Worn with a scarf, it is impossible to recognize a person. Earlier, they had little straps which the lady used her teeth to hold, so for sure she wasn’t talking.

The tradition of Carnevale and the masks was lost when Venice surrendered to Napoleon and the Treaty of Campo Formio was signed in 1797. The 60 years of Austrian domination began in 1798 when Venice was handed over to the Austrians. The years that followed must have seemed dreary and unimaginative to the Venetians right up through World War I and World War II. It was not until the early 1980s when students began making masks that the tradition revived. A rebirth of a 500 year old tradition which today counts for untold millions of Euro each year in sales and for sure outdoes any costumes and masks from the early days.

Today at Carnevale you can see an unlimited variety of masks, including Gold Filigree, Leather, and Metals in addition to the classic Paper Mache. They are decorated with laces, sequins, feathers and gold or silver. There are several masks that you see repeatedly during Carnevale and for sale in all stores and whether inexpensive, made in China or hand made in the small alleyways of Venice, they are steeped in the local history.

The Bauta is probably the most common mask. It is one piece with lots of space for a large nose and to allow the wearer to eat and drink, an important consideration, without removing it and revealing your identiy. Not a good idea if you were voicing opposing view than the Great Council, or Council of Ten as the Venetians called it. It was worn by both women and men and generally with a long back cape called a “Taborro” and a 3 sided hat called a “Tricorn”.

Today the masks are ever evolving, more creative, more decorative as materials are more readily found. Imagine the limited items available in the 1500s to produce a mask.  A mask maker’s laboratory is floor to ceiling lace, sequins, gold ribbons and the ever present glue gun and rivet machine.

Popular in recent years is the Vivaldi Mask which pays tribute to the city’s great Musician.And you will find these around Venice, here you see a completed mask as well as all the pieces needed to make the Vivaldi masks. Each mask must have each of these pieces placed on the mask by hand. Making masks Venetian Style is all handwork, there are no machines which can do the delicate painting, put the feathers just right or cut the holes for the eyes so they have expression.

Once the Carnival committee announces the theme for the festival, there is a mad rush to design appropriate masks. The ideas stem from artist concepts and each year there are new designs.

The production of the mask begins with the creation of a mould and a very absorbent, rather stiff paper. Once it is dry, the edges must be trimmed and the eyes cut. Then layers of paint are applied and finally the decorations.  The entire process takes about 2-3 days and smells of glue and paint.

Everyone has heard of the famous books on murder mysteries in Venice, “Death in Venice” and “Vaporetto 13” or the many books by Edward Sklepowich. Donna Leon has made Commissario Brunetti famous in her murder mysteries with Venice as the backdrop. But in keeping with the “life is stranger than fiction” a recent episode or “giallo” in Venice is too strange not to write about it.

TAXI?

It all began with a discovery driver of a water taxi in the small canal where he docks his boat on the island of Lido. He saw something bobbling in the water and upon closer look it was a body. The police arrived and along with the firemen and pulled out the body of a young woman, completely nude – except for a necklace. (This is not a clue.)

This was at 1:30 am on Monday. It was immediately determined that (1) she had not thrown herself into the canal and (2) that she had not died from drowning and (3) that she was not a local, and not a tourist in a local hotel.

So began what was a mystery and one of the fastest solved crimes in the history of Venice. It was a poorly disguised murder.

MISSING PERSON:
The first clue came when a woman was reported missing in Milano, had been seen on Saturday there and was reported missing by her roommates, a couple from India. Ah!

But how did she get to Venice as by now we know several important factors. (1) The corner declares she has been dead for about 48 hours, which puts the time of death on Saturday. (2) She was reported missing on Sunday. (3) She had been in the canal for only a couple of hours. (4) She did not come to Venice on her on.

We all know there are cameras everywhere, train stations, bus stations, vaporetto stops. So this starts to narrow down things a bit.

The police in Milano visit the roommates to get more information. Their story changes, she had been drinking, there was a fight, first one and then the other one took responsibility.

Then the security cameras gave a clue – there on the video was the couple getting off the vaporetto on the island of Lido with a very large suitcase. Then about 2.5 hours later, they were seen boarding the vaporetto returning from Lido to Venice, but without the suitcase.

So by the following weekend, the two were in jail and a complete details of this murder were known. Probably one of the fastest crimes solved in the history of Italy.

The young lady is a native of Iran. She was a student at an art academy in Milano, was sharing an apartment with the couple, a tiny studio. When the tight quarters and lack of privacy had become unbearable to the lady, she decided to move out and asked for her deposit back. An argument ensued and she was killed.

That’s Saturday! They discussed how to dispose of her body and removed her clothing, though why they did not remove the necklace is yet to be answered.

PLANNING A TRIP:

They bought a suitcase and folded her into the suitcase.

Now it is Sunday. They went to Milano Centrale, the main station in Milano with intentions to dump her into the lake at Lake Como. But….when they arrived there were “too many people”.

ALL ABOARD:

They again boarded the train with the lady in the suitcase, this time back to Milano and had another thought because they still needed to dispose of the body. They bought a ticket for Venice. What’s more natural than a couple headed to Venice with their luggage.

(The irony of this is that if they had left the suitcase unattended for 5 minutes in Milano, someone would have stolen it and their problem would have been solved!)

A RIDE ALONG THE GRAND CANAL:

Why Venice? The young man had worked for a short time as a waiter on Lido and presumably felt there were fewer people, which is true in off-season. They arrived at Santa Lucia station in Venice and took the vaporetto with the suitcase, presumably the #1 along the romantic Grand Canal a trip which takes about 40-50 minutes, where they are seen by the video cameras arriving with the suitcase on Lido.

So they have now taken the body by train in a large suitcase from Milano to Lake Como, back to Milano(about 1 hour each way) and then to Venice (which is about 3-4 hours by train). They hastily disposed of the body in a shallow canal not too far from the vaporetto stop and to their misfortune, very close to the water taxi stand.

What did they do then – stroll around Lido? Well eventually they took the vaporetto back to the train station. However, it was late, about 2ish in the morning and there were no more trains to Milano that night (Actually the body was discovered about the time they reached the train station.) Security cameras have captured their departure in the taxi.

 They walked to Piazzale Roma and they hired a taxi driver (car) to take them back to Milano. The cost: 650 Euro or roughly $900 US. Do you think the taxi driver remembered them (3-4 hours in the car on the A-4)? He was probably still boasting to all his buddies about this exorbitant taxi ride when the police found him to question him.

A WELL-PLANNED ESCAPE:

The police discovered their necessity to return to Milano at such haste and expense. They had thousands of Euro hidden in their apartment. And they had also booked tickets back to their homeland for Tuesday with a flight out of Milano. And by now I think they had to buy another suitcase!

BEWARE LARGE SUITCASES:

I do not think I will ever look at a large suitcase on the vaporett or  train in quite the same light.Google

Traveling can be frustrating especially in foreign cities where you may have trouble with the language. We found several apps that our local friends have to make our lives easier in Venice, knowing when the next vaporetto arrives and in traveling by train to other parts of Italy. But before you go, there are some other apps to help you.   Remember to download the apps (or update) before you go, so you won’t be wasting your minutes. The ones listed below are all free.

Venice is a bit like a maze in the daytime, at night, well it is like a maze but you are blindfolded! We recommend taking some time to get an overview of the area, being sure to have written the phone number of your hotel, the address and the closest vaporetto stop. Here are some apps that will make you look like a local.

I am sure there’s a job for us giving out directions in Venice if our bead business ever bores us!

Choose your airline seat wisely. Today you can find so much information on line, SeatGuru will give you the layout of the plane and help you choose a seat so you can sleep.

Today it’s impossible (or so it seems) for us to be unattached to an internet for any period of time. Make the best of the free WiFi in any city with this handy app. The beauty of this app is that it doesn’t require you to be online to use it. Remember to download the latest data to your phone or other device before you leave home. However remember to be careful logging onto a free WiFi.

Getting around Venice. You wouldn’t be the first tourist to find the boats going back and forth to be a bit confusing. We all know the boats we take daily, but to go to a spot we don’t go often, this is the app that we use. It will give you the next departure time and intermediate stops.

Finally, the app that lets you know what shoes to wear! If you see black walking shoes, then you are in the clear and there will be no high water (acqua alta). This app was developed with the collaboration of the Instituzione Centro Previsione e Segnalazione Maree of Venice (ICPSM) and gives you the forecast for the following 2 days. 

As the streets of Venice are at different heights above (or below) sea level, you have the choice of looking at a number of locations. San Marco Square is among the lowest and will begin flooding very quickly. Venice has 2 tides each day, so if you are going to be out several hours, you will need to look at the forecast for the day.

Download these apps from for your device:

SeatGuru, WiFi Finder, iVenice, hi!tide Venice
Google

The Costumes of Carnival

Visiting Venice at Carnival is a dress maker’s heaven. Of course there are the cute and whimsical costumes similar to those we see at Halloween in the US. You will see costumes of every genre in Venice. And each year there is a theme, but the classics are always in demand.

For the true Carnevale participant, the costumes are works of art, comprised of.yards of expensive brocade fabric, lace, sequins, velvet and jewels. The end result is a parade of beautifully dressed ladies and gentlemen parading through San Marco Square and taking or taking a trip in a Gondola along the famed Grand Canal.
So if you haven’t been sewing for months, you can still  rent one of the elaborate costumes for upwards of 300 Euro a day, not a small sum, but considering  the cost in materials and labor often is over 2,000 Euro, it’s not surprising.

We thought we’d visit a Costume Designer and give you a backroom view of what goes on. It is cluttered, piled top to bottom with fabrics, sequins, lace and projects underway. There are mannequins with costumes in various stages of completion.

Because the Venetian Carnevale is classic 17^th and 18^th Century, the first step is pouring over old books for authentic designs. And then wouldn’t you know that it begins with a sketch?

If they are made for a specific person, there are fittings. If they are made as rentals, there are special made with special sections to expand or make them smaller. 

There are period parties held through the city in the grand palaces. Not only must you have the correct dress, but even the wigs must be exacting to the period. 

The costumes are much like theatrical production costumes for the opera, such as La Fenice in Venice or La Scala in Milano. No detail is too small. Even the shoes in this costume repeat the same fabric as the dress (top picture).

Here are a couple more in a series of the costumes they were making on our visit. And certainly the mask must match the costume. Here come the glue gun and the feathers and of course, sparkles.

Watching this evolution of the fabric to the royal costume is like watching Cinderella’s tattered clothes turn into a ballgown and her  pumpkin into a carriage. It has all the magic of a fairy tale.

Maybe that’s why everyone loves the Carnival in Venice!

Here we have the finished costumes for the royal couple, ready to parade through the square in San Marco (well maybe he needs shoes!) Google

Epiphany is celebrated in various ways across Italy following folklore and traditions. The most famous is La Befana, an old woman who delivers gifts on the 5th of January to good children, filling their socks with presents. Bad children get lumps of coal.

Read our Blog:

If you remember our post card for Christmas of the tree by San Marco, here’s the before and after showing you how it looked on before Christmas with all the lights and again on Dec 26, Santo Stefano isolated on an island from the high water.

The high water was announced in plenty of time for locals with the alarms being sounded well in advance of it’s expected arrival. It was projected to reach its maximum at 6 a.m. and according to plans, it should have departed about 9-10ish, just in time for the stores to open (if they planned to open during the holidays).

However, the scirocco (winds which push the water in the Adriatic right into the lagoon) did not subside, so San Marco remained under water for the entire day. With the altitude of San Marco at about 80cm (about 31 inches above sea level), it is one of the lowest places in the city and water begins seeping from under the pavement until the sea level is above the walls and it begins pouring in. The provision was for 115 cm. When the water projected to reach these levels, a siren alerts everyone in the city and the store owners must rush to the stores, day or night, and pick up things on the floor. After the water recedes, there is a lot of work, cleaning the mud as well as disinfecting to prevent mildew.

For More Pictures and stories of Acqua Alta:

Read Wikipedia; Read what Wikipedia has to say

Snow & High Water; Venice is incredibly beautiful in snow, but treacherous with high water

High Water 10-12; It came on the day of the Venice Marathon.

The Highest in 22 Years December 2008, the water was incredibly high.

Note for Venice Travelers: If you are traveling to Venice, you might want to download the very useful app. HighTide Venice. High water in Venice should never deter you from getting around and usually last only a couple of hours. However, high tides are generally accompanied by unpleasant weather, rain and wind.

Throw-away boots are available for about 15US$ and as we heard one tourist say: The best 15$ they ever spent. 

They were enjoying this amazing phenomenon in this very special city.
Google

Many of our customers start out making jewelry as a hobby, or because they can’t find original jewelry and don’t want to buy mass produced pieces and sometimes it’s to design around a specific outfit or occasion. Then…their friends or co-workers see their beautiful pieces and start asking for their own jewelry. It’s a pretty common story. Believe me, I understand this as it’s pretty much how we got into the business. I bought some beautiful pieces in Venice and all my friends began asking me to buy for them when I went back. Because we had a son-in-law from the area, we were going back and forth a lot. It you are at this junction, there are so many parts of the business to consider. I recommend selling for a while to this ready-made group of customers, who can give you feedback, let you know if something falls apart, or just doesn’t work. After selling to this close group of people, consider home parties before you sign up for fairs or shows. From your friends, you can branch out without spending a lot. For the home party, you can reward the hostess with a piece of jewelry of her choice. Home parties are still intimate, and friends will help sell your jewelry as they can try on, and admire each other’s choices. The profits you get from this part of your new occupation can go towards stocking your inventory. But don’t over stock on anything, be frugal as you are still learning what your customers like and don’t like.   Google