Have You Ever Heard Of Functional Glass Art Or Seen A Glass Pipe

For hundreds of years people have blown and molded glass for both decorative and functional purposes

. Modern glass art has been around since the 1960's and consists of functional as well as decorative pieces. Pipe smokers often prefer their pipes to be made of glass rather than wood because glass doesn't affect the flavor of the tobacco. A glass pipe is made up of three parts, the bit, the shank, and the bowl.

The bit of a pipe is the actual mouthpiece; the pipe's shank is the thin stem from the bit to the bowl. The bowl of a pipe is where the tobacco is placed and lit, when the smoker draws on the pipe, the smoke travels from the bowl along the shank and into the bit. Pipes are made from a number of different materials as well as glass. Hand blown glass pipes are often very attractive and may have designs etched into the bowl and sometimes along the stem.

Glass is used extensively in the making of pipes in the Middle East where there are actual smoking cafes. This type of pipe is smoked from what looks like a large, decorated glass, bottle with a burner near the top, and a large, flexible stem. These pipes are the original glass bongs. In modern times the bong or water pipe tends to be associated with smoking tobacco. These smoking devices are also called Hookah pipes. Hookah pipes are made of glass and consist of a curved vessel that has water in it.

The tobacco in the hookah is heated by charcoal and the water is there to cool the smoke down, making for a smoother smoke. A hookah pipe is also called a "Shishe" by the Persians, and simply means a glass bottle. The glass base of the pipe is quite tall because it's meant to be smoked while it's on the floor rather than on a stand or table.

In countries such as Persia and Egypt is customary for smokers to sit on low cushioned seats when they are smoking the pipe. Smokers may share the hookah, but it should not be passed from one to the other; instead, left so that the next person can pick it up at their leisure.

Decorative pipes, bongs and vases are all examples of functional glass art. Not all of these products are mass produced, some are the result of the art of glass blowing. One of the great things about glass blowing is that you can get such different variations in the color and shape of the glass. Glass pipes have become very popular over the years because they are so different to the usual wood and clay pipes which are standard for the "normal" run of things.

Other functional, artistic glass objects that you can get include jugs, vases and glasses. If you want the best in functional glass art, then blown glass is the answer. In Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Spain, glass blowing is still prevalent. You can get some wonderful glass vases and glass light fittings in a variety of colors and shapes.

All too often we tend to think that anything made from glass is too fragile, but this is not always the case. Glass pipes and glass light fittings have to contain a certain amount of heat resistant properties in order for them to function. Many other glass objects such as jugs and vases are made to withstand a lot more use than you might imagine, which is why there is a large market for functional glass art.

by: Jason Bacot

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