Murano Glass Sculptures at Ex Chiesa di Santa Chiara

After two decades of suppression under Habsburg rule, from 1815 to 1835 - the Habsburgs so heavily taxed the importation into Venice of the raw materials for making glass that nearly half of the furnaces then existing closed down and those that remained produced only commercial products such as beads and bottles - the Murano glass masters once again rose to the top of luxury glass production with the opening of several new furnaces and the introduction of many new, purely aesthetic, works of Murano glass.  Murano glass sculpture, though reliant on the historical techniques and secrets of Murano glass production, represents the broad artistic expression and design skills of the Murano glass masters perhaps better than any other type of Murano glass.  The Ex Chiesa di Santa Chiara collection of Murano glass sculptures includes works in all sizes and subject matters, ranging from the romantic to the humorous, but all made to the highest standard of Murano glass craftsmanship.  These are some examples of Murano glass sculptures that can be found at Ex Chiesa di Santa Chiara.