In antiquity and in Renaissance Venice, mosaic or millefiori glass was used to create polychrome patterns. Rods of different colors were bundled together, fused, and drawn out into a long cane whose cross section displayed the intended ornament. The most elaborate works of this type achieved the graphic outline of a portrait. But rarely did they result in the painting-like perfection of this image of Christopher Columbus. A single cane could produce many slices, and other sections of the Columbus cane are known. This cane is considered to be the greatest work achieved by Vincenzo Moretti (1835-1901) and his son Luigi. Vincenzo began his career pulling cane in Pietro Bigaglia's bea factory, and he later worked in the famous company of Antonio Salviati [see 98.3.8] in Venice. It was there that he revived the ancient millefiori technique, which was proudly presented to the public at the Paris world's fair of 1878. Because Moretti's works resembled the Roman vasa murrina, vessels made of a mysterious stone, they were called vetri murrini. The Christopher Columbus murrina was probably made to mark the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America.