Dedicated to the Muses

Alexey Tyurin first mention of the glass industry we can meet in the ancient treatises relating to the years 2600-2750. BC. Initial experiments belong to the masters of ancient Egypt, who quickly learned to not only get a glass a lot, but give it the necessary shape. Production of glass in ancient times was the process very time consuming and labor-intensive. Accordingly, the products, often jewelry, and at that time were expensive and only available to wealthy and high-ranking personalities. The composition of the usual modern glass is virtually identical to ancient ones: about 70% silica, from 15 to 30% alkali, plus small amounts of iron oxide, aluminum and magnesium. It should be noted that in those days could not be qualitatively clean sand, causing the glass took on a cloudy green or blue hues. But after 150 years by adding a peroxide manganese glass was discolored. The merit of successful (and certainly failed) experiments for the decorative glass painting belongs to the Romans. Initially, they were pure shades of blue and turquoise glass by adding a mixture of copper and blue - after adding cobalt, and after a few centuries, color combinations opaque glass back thousands of colors. This stained glass was called - smalt. This name is often put synonymous with mosaics. This is incorrect. By definition - smalt is colored opaque glass in the form of cubes and plates, which is just used to create mosaics. In turn, Mosaic (mosaic or patterned band) may consist of pieces of wood, ceramics, precious and semiprecious stones (jasper, opal), fossilized bone, mother of pearl. And the word itself comes from the Latin musivum, which literally translated means - devoted to the Muses. Currently, a very stylish looks interior with beautiful materials such as smalt or mosaic. They bring character refinement, because the use of small details gives the illusion of tremendous hard work. It's now we can get smaltovye composition in semi-finished position, ie small glass forms are already attached to the matrix sheet and ready to shelter an area of ??40 to 100 cm2. Same ancient craftsmen had to manually attach to the surface every little detail. There are two types of matrices for glazes or mosaics: net and paper. It must be said that the paper matrix is ??considered more acceptable, because better adhesion and more durable surfaces are obtained by convex seams. Overlay elements pritaplivaniem (direct method) of a layer of cement or filler is most common. But if you want to create a special separate picture (surface) is perfectly smooth, then apply the second way (back): a temporary base paper with the corresponding image vodorasvorimym glue stick mosaic elements of the color you want face-down ", allowed to dry, transferred to a permanent surface, sop temporary base paper and carefully removed. The use of glazes or smaltovoy mosaic tiling bathrooms, pools, kitchens (areas where high humidity) gives some real advantages. Glass coating is well tolerated difference of critical temperatures, it is hardy and heat resistance. Besides the quantity of water absorption it is zero, and the glass surface does not conduct electrical current. Aesthetic and practical use of smalt was reflected in facing facades and fireplaces. With the help of mosaic technique can reproduce famous paintings or the creation of author panels with different images: from the traditional floral motifs to the human image. Area partially sheltered smalt mosaic or combine perfectly with standard ceramic tiles, and the presence of just small details makes it possible to create a more flowing form of a mosaic, if it is conceived. It is characteristic that the working surface can be rounded and well "turn into" using the mosaic technique. Modern manufacturers smalt offer so extraordinary and varied in execution and the beauty of the samples, which often are positioning their products is as a mosaic. In fact it is the same smalt, but with the addition of gold inclusions or seams, natural stones. Or, for example, the firm SICIS (Italy) has released a brand new mosaic, made of metal (steel, copper). There are also workshops where specifically working on the production of concrete mosaic image. Very often, the productive processes (cooking, casting) is not mechanized, and made by hand, according to many years of accumulated tradition. Products at the same time acquire the character of exclusivity and uniqueness. The Russian market is a fairly wide range of manufacturers: ORSONI, TREND, BISAZZA (Italy), GNG (China).