Learn more about Shirts, Cherries, and Snowflakes, of Course  by American artist Ginny Ruffner.

This particular type of pitcher is modeled after an ancient civilization in Italy called the Etruscans. It's called a becco di oca, which means "goose beak" in Italian.

The glass slipper was made in Corning, New York, to be worn in a movie about Cinderella. The movie was never made, so the slipper was never worn. Gift of Corning Glass Works.

Listen as glass artist William Gudenrath describes the techniques used to make this bird-shaped vessel. This was an ancient Roman form of packaging. It was filled with perfume, then the tail was sealed by heating it in a flame. To extract the perfume, the user broke off the tip of the tail.

Listen as glass artist William Gudenrath describes the technique used to make this mechanical glass theater. This miniature theater shows the Wedding at Cana. Look closely and you can see that it is made of shells, rock crystal, fabric, and pieces of glass. Some of the figures are attached to

This cup is named for JP Morgan, the famous banker who once owned it. It is the only known ancient Roman cameo glass vessel that has survived intact. The scene shows worshippers at a shrine.

The pieces in Gianni Toso's Chess Set, made in about 1981, are in the form of Jewish and Roman Catholic worshippers. The kings are a rabbi and a bishop. The tiny details of the figures were made by softening glass in a flame and molding it into the desired shapes.

Traditional glass engravers use copper wheels mounted on a lathe. The wheels come in many shapes and sizes. An abrasive slurry drips onto the wheel as the engraver works on the design.

Listen as curator Tina Oldknow describes Marquiscarpa by American artist Richard Marquis. Using techniques that originated in Italy, Marquis pays homage to the great Italian designer Carlo Scarpa.

Anthem of Joy was created by the Czech designer Věra Liškova. It was made by softening, inflating, and manipulating tubes of borosilicate glass (like Pyrex) over a torch. The individual parts were assembled by fusing. Gift of Art Centrum.

This was an ancient Roman form of packaging. It was filled with perfume, then the tail was sealed by heating it in a flame. To extract the perfume, the user broke off the tip of the tail. 

Listen as curator Tina Oldknow describes Meteor, Flower, Bird by Czech artists Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová. Libenský and Brychtová convey three messages with this sculpture: Meteor, on the left, represents Corning as an international center for the study of glass; the flower, in the

Listen as curator Tina Oldknow describes Black Cube by Czech artist Marian Karel. Despite its name, Black Cube is not really a cube. Each side slightly bulges as though there is some sort of energy pushing the walls outward.

This unusually large piece of cameo glass is filled with action! The scene of warriors fighting is taken from a medieval Chinese story.

Listen as curator Tina Oldknow describes Untitled (White) by American artist Josiah McElheny, who reproduced well-known modern designs in opaque white glass. He pays homage to classic 20th-century design.

The discovery of glassblowing was the second most important event in the history of glassmaking after the discovery of glass itself. Because of the ease and speed of manufacture, blown glass vessels began to be used in daily life.

This is a full-scale model of half an Egyptian glass furnace. The original is more than 3,500 years old.

Listen as glass artist William Gudenrath describes the techniques American artist Josiah McElheny used to create Untitled (White). McElheny reproduced well-known modern designs in opaque white glass. He pays homage to classic 20th-century design.

The Venetians were clever glassmakers. They could make bowls, goblets, and decorative objects such as these citrus fruits, which were meant to be suspended as ornaments.

Traditional glass engravers use copper wheels mounted on a lathe. The wheels come in many shapes and sizes. An abrasive slurry drips onto the wheel as the engraver works on the design.

Listen as glass artist William Gudenrath describes the technique used to create the Corning Ewer, one of the finest pieces of cut glass in the entire Museum. The eggshell-thin colorless glass was covered with a green overlay. After cooling, the green was partly carved away to create the decoration.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed this window for the "Playhouse," a kindergarten with a stage, at the Coonley Residence in Riverside, Illinois. The design, with its flag and colorful balloons, was inspired by parades. Clara S. Peck Endowment Purchase.

One traditional way of making flat glass was to open a bubble of molten glass as if to make a bowl. Using centrifugal force, the glassblower would spin the heated bowl and it would open into a flat disk.

Beadwork like this was popular in 17th-century England. A wire frame was formed and decorated with thousands of seed beads.

Much like today, sports fans throughout history have enjoyed drinking from cups decorated with pictures of their heroes. This cup is decorated with pictures of famous gladiators.

Many pieces go together to make this portrait of an ancient Egyptian. Every piece is glass, except one. Can you tell which piece is not made of glass?

Learn about the ways that glass artists have used artistic expression in the Museum's Modern Glass Gallery.

Listen as glass artist William Gudenrath describes the technique of making a core-formed vessel. Ancient glassmakers discovered a technique called core forming. A core was formed from dung and clay, then dried. The core was covered with glass. After cooling, the core was scraped out. The bottles

Ancient glassmakers discovered a technique called core forming. A core was formed from dung and clay, then dried. The core was covered with glass. After cooling, the core was scraped out. The bottles were used for perfume and cosmetics.

Listen as glass artist William Gudenrath describes how this glass harmonica was made. Benjamin Franklin invented this strange musical instrument. It was popular in the late 18th century. Sounds were made by running moistened fingers along the rims of the glasses. Some people were afraid that this