Shanghai Museum of Glass (10/7/2012)

Sunday, October 7, 2012

The Shanghai Museum of Glass (SHMOG) is another great museum!

Kent found a more convenient way of getting to the museum, by taking Metro Line 1 to Tonghe Xincun, then catching Bus 726 on Changjiang Xi Road. Get off at the fourth stop, backtrack to a traffic light to cross the road and you should see the museum to the left at No. 685:

At night light shines through the white letters in the glass wall:

We were in time for a "hot glass" demonstration; getting a glob of molten glass on the end of a rod:

While twirling the rod to keep the glass from "dripping," adding some color by rolling in powder:

Using giant pliers to pull the glass into shapes:

Once in a while you need to reheat the glass to keep it workable:

Some more shaping:

Adding another bit of molten glass for the head:

Voilà!

A volunteer was chosen by randomly drawing a ticket stub number, and she was asked to blow:

And blow!

A professional glass blower:

Rolling the glass on wet rags to shape it:

Another building housed a DIY Creative Workshop:

I think today there were glass pumpkins to paint, so there is not really any DIY glass-making.
The museum was opened in 2011 and has some beautiful exhibits. The floor was like a kaleidoscope:

Chinese dragon-eyes are similar to millefiori:

Millefiori:

Bohemian glass:

Sandblasted (etched) glass:

One exhibit hall has doors cut into the wall covered with a cartoon-like mural. Opening the doors reveals different ways we have glass in our daily lives.
Upstairs there are exhibits of glass art and a café.
By Luke Jerram (UK) in 2010:

Luke Jerram is colour-blind.
By Davide Salvatore (Italy) in 2011:

Davide Salvatore was born in Murano (home of millefiori glass) to a glass-making family.
By Steven Weinberg (USA) in 2006:

Steven Weinberg received his Masters in Fine Arts from the RI School of Design.
By Max Jacquard (UK) in 2006:

Max Jacquard seems to specialize in slumping glass.
By Keith Cummings (UK) in 2008:

Keith Cummings has written books on kiln-forming glass.
By Xue Lu/Shelly (Shanghai) in 2005, titled "Ink Bamboo:"

A local girl.