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Fusion and Furnaces
Up until the end of the 19th century, glassmaking was
exclusively the domain of the craftsman, both for creating
and for moulding and decoration.
Achieving beautiful glass had always meant as precise
a dosage and mix as possible of raw materials.
Achieving a good firing also required a whole series
of parameters to be controlled such as the temperature
and atmosphere in the furnace.
Glassmakers therefore spent a lot of time perfecting
their furnaces. At the end of the 19th century, a real
revolution took place in the whole concept of furnaces;
the traditional pot furnaces
were replaced by a new invention: the tank furnace,
initially for mass production (window panes, flasks
and bottles, etc.) and today they are also used for
luxury articles.
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