Goblet, Ercole Barovier (Venice), 1959
(Inv. 867 RCh)
Photo: Alain Breyer

C is for… COLOUR

Drab and lacklustre tinted powders.

These are the colouring oxides ready for their baptism by fire. It is when added to glass that they come to life: yellow from sulphur, uranium, silver… green from iron and chrome… red from gold, copper and selenium… blue from cobalt and copper, purple from nickel and manganese…

Most date back to antiquity.