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Glass Vases: From 'hollow glass' made in early Mesopotamia to skillful Venetian artwork to contemporary decor

From bright and colorful glass vases to clear ones, from glass wall vases to square ones, it's now easy to find the right one for your decor since glassblowing is on the rise.

VASES: SOME OF THE OLDEST GLASSWARE IN HISTORY

Glass vases are some of the earliest glassware found in history. The first evidence of them dates back to Mesopotamia in the 16th century B.C. Around this time, hollow glass production was also emerging in Egypt, China, Mycenae (Greece), North Tyrol.

There is no more evidence of much glassmaking evolution from that period up to the 9th century BC, when glassmaking appeared again in Mesopotamia. From this area, particularly Alessandra, it is thought to have spread to Italy. But glassblowing didn't come about until Syrian craftsmen discovered it somewhere between 27 BC and AD 14.

By AD 100, the Romans had done much to spread glassblowing to other countries with effective trade routes. Through the flourishing Roman Empire, glass pieces spread through western Europe and the Mediterranean. And during the reign of Augustus, glass objects began to appear throughout Italy, France, Germany, and Switzerland.

After this time, glass found its way into architecture, but glass objects like vases weren't so prominent, it was not until the Middle Ages, when Venice thrived on glassmaking, that glass objects began to appear again. In 1291 the industry was moved to the island of Murano due to the excessive number of fires caused by the furnaces. By the end of the 16th century, almost half of the island's 7,000 inhabitants were involved in some way in glassmaking, and out of Murano came some of the finest glassware in history.

The industry has kept quiet since, that is, until the 1960's, when skillful glassblowers like Dale Chihuly came on the scene with stunning glass art. Since then, many artists have emerged as talented glassblowers, creating many objects, including vases, that are readily available for people to purchase for their homes.