Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
2024 GLASS ART SOCIETY ANNUAL CONFERENCE, Berlin, Almanya, 15 - 18 Mayıs 2024, ss.20-22, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
REVIVING IRIDESCENT MAGIC: A Contemporary Approach to a Centuries-Old Craft from Mesopotamia to the Present
Paste Luster is a type of decoration that is applied to the surface of glass with a brush and then, after being applied, is subjected to ion exchange by creating a reducing atmosphere at the glass' transformation temperature. This results in the appearance of iridescent metallic effects on the surface. The shiny reflections produced by the metallic film layer that has grown on the surface—referred to as "luster"—are especially noticeable in daylight.
Paste Luster is one of the oldest decoration techniques, known and skillfully used by Mesopotamian glassmakers centuries ago. Examples in history are motifs decorated with paste luster on glass shaped by glassblowing technique. However, over time its applications on glass surfaces grow less and less relevant while its development on glazed ceramic surfaces became dominant.
In this study, we wanted to revive the use of paste luster technique on glass surfaces. In line with this purpose, we developed new paste luster formulations for glass based on an 8th-century manuscript. These formulas were applied on alkali silica glasses using a brush. In order to get the best fire outcomes, the oxygen concentration in the kiln atmosphere during the reducing environment firing was measured with an oxygen probe in this investigation.
In light of the old approach, current raw material possibilities, and empirically gathered data, the aforementioned technique, which was utilized in Islamic art centuries ago, has been transformed into a method proposal and updated for the present.