Mexican Artisan Handblown Textured White Pebble Glass Tumbler

This is a beautiful tumbler with white pebble accents and was handblown from recycled glass Vaso de vidrio soplado mexicano New and unused-has been in a display cabinet Handmade in Mexico Size: 5 inches high and 10.5 inch circumference Nice heavy weight An artisan town near Guadalajara, Tonala takes its name from the Nahuatl "Tonallan" — "where the sun comes out." Glass blowing has been an art form here for more than a hundred years. Today, it's considered the capital of Mexican handblown glass. The technique is spectacular. The ground glass — often recycled from drink bottles — is melted in ovens for several hours until it has the texture of thick honey. Each color is melted separately and they are known as transparent, smoky, amethyst or amber. The temperature of the ovens varies from 500 to 1600 degrees Centigrade. When the glass reaches a point of fusion, it is placed at the tip of a long metal tube. If colored spots are desired, it is rolled through a pan of tiny glass fragments in the desired hues, then the blowing begins. The artisans roll the glass to create a uniform shape while manipulating the molten globe with special tools. Finally, they remove the blowing tube, and heat the glass once more before handles or bases are affixed. Once finished, the piece goes into an over for a number of hours to temper it.