Opaline glass

It was originally made by adding materials such as bone ash to lead-crystal, creating a semi-opaque glass with reddish opalescence.

The first opaline glass was made in Murano in the sixteenth century, with the addition of calcium phosphate, resulting from the calcination of bones.

With this particular glass objects of common use were handcrafted: vases, bowls, cups, goblets, carafes, perfume bottles, boxes, lamps.

Many different pieces were produced in opaline glass, including vases, bowls, cups, coupes, decanters, perfume bottles, boxes, clocks and other implements.

In the late 20th century the venetian master glassmaker Vincenzo Nason, began producing a similar type of glass, labelled 'Veritable Opaline de Murano'.