Where did the art of fused glass begin?
The early history of glass is shrouded in mystery; however, somewhere in the Middle East around 5000 years ago someone made glass either by accident or design. Although none of the existing tales have any factual evidence to support them, it is believed by many to have been the Phoenicians from Caanan who first created glass. Since the Phoenicians were merchants and seafaring people, they possibly spread their glassmaking knowledge throughout the world. Evidence of casting techniques exists from ancient times. Until about 250 BC all glass was either core formed by winding molten threads of glass around a metal rod packed with a core of sand, or was cast in molds. Very early glass makers used the technology of metal casting to cast glass and treated it as “poured stone”, incorporating lapidary techniques to cold-work the object. After glass blowing was invented or discovered cast glass took a back seat for a long time. It was not until the late 19th century, Henry Cos, a Frenchman, beca
