Glassmaking in Renaissance Venice

Contents: Introduction; Glass, ceramics, and society; The nature and limitations of available sources of information; Technological change and the role of consumer demand; The plan of this book; Masters of the Gold of Christendom?: Renaissance Venice, the World Economy, and Luxury Goods: Introduction; Venice in the Renaissance world economy; Artisans, guilds, and the Venetian State; The economic geography of Venice and Murano; Capitalism, consumerism, and conspicuous consumption; Luxury goods in the Renaissance culture and economy; A note on the Venetian monetary system; Master Aldrevandin's World: Glassmaking in Pre-Renaissance Venice: Introduction; Glassmaking in the past; Early glassmaking traditions in the Veneto; Glassmaking in medieval Venice; The glassmakers of medieval Venice and their products; The technology of glass production in pre-Renaissance Venice; Questions of origins and influence; The Renaissance Venetian glass industry - a self-catalyzed phenomenon; Demystifying the Demand for Renaissance Glass: Introduction; Why glass?; The functions of Renaissance glass; Desire defined: Two favoured qualities of Renaissance Venetian glass; Conclusion; Desire Fulfilled: The Technology of Glassmaking in Renaissance Venice: The introduction and innovation of new luxury glasses; Luxury glassmaking technology in Renaissance Venice; The final product; The social organisation of Venetian glassmaking; Venetian glassmaking and the Renaissance economy; Venetian glassmaking in context: Some concluding remarks; Consumers and Competitors: The Distribution of Glass and Glassmaking Knowledge: Introduction; The distribution of glass; Technology transfer and Renaissance glassmaking; Epilogue: The Innovations of Renaissance Venetian Glass; Notes; Bibliography; Index.