Annemiekpunt.nl > The glass -
Sand, Lime and Soda … that’s all it takes to make glass.
Annemiek Punt prefers working with mouth blown ‘real’ antique glass for her stained-glass windows. Because of the beautiful, deep colors. And because the glass cuts good. The window for the New Church in Delft was executed in mouth blown ‘real’ antique glass. Lamberts glass. This glass is still manufactured entirely according to ancient traditional methods, and has a distinctive shine and texture. Because of the transparency and irregularities, the colors come to life. Annemiek carefully select the types of glass by color. The mouth blown ‘real’ antique glass is characterized by the irregularities in the glass.
First, the mouth blown ‘real’ antique glass is made liquid by heating it. This boiling red hot mass is shaped by continuously blowing and turning. This process is repeated until the desired amount of glass is reached.
This red-hot glass mass should blow up until a round balloon like shape arises. This form is necessary to prepare the glass for further manufacturing.
Slowly, the glass gets its final shape, size and structure. Besides skills and knowledge, this also requires physical power. But it’s the only way to manufacture this mouth blown ‘real’ antique glass.
The red-hot “glass balloon” is cut open, and both ends are removed to create a hollow cylinder. The cylinder is split lengthwise, reheated and rolled to a flat plate. It is important that the glass cools down slowly, so the tension will be minimized, which makes it possible to cut the glass.
After a careful inspection, the glass is titled mouth blown ‘real’ antique glass.
