Verrerie de Soisy
The Glassworks at Soisy-sur-Ecole and glass-blowing
Since 1978 the Verrerie de Soisy-sur-Ecole has been revealing the magical art of glass-blowing to the public. The visit starts in a magnificent wooded park beside the River Ecole where glass creations are placed with charm and elegance in a beautiful, tranquil setting.
The visit continues in the workshop which is open to the public, where Frédéric and Nicolas bring glass to life before your eyes, from the ‘gathering’ of the molten glass to annealing, creating objects which can be found on sale in the shop. An information space explains the key principles of the magical transformations which take place in the workshop.
The historic speciality made at the Verrerie de Soisy is coloured glass made using powdered colour and pieces of coloured glass. Once the colours have been applied to the glass the glass-maker proceeds with the second ‘gathering’. The ball of coloured glass is covered with a coating of molten glass, then the shaping and blowing begin. The glass is blown in moulds to make traditional mushroom shaped lamps or blown freehand for specimen vases. For almost 4 decades a wide range of glass objects have been blown here, some of which have become great classics : the water barometer, leaf-shaped knife rests, lamps, animal figurines, paperweights, etc. Since 2008, pieces have also been made using the fusing technique in which different pieces of glass are joined together in a kiln. This technique is used to produce highly original dishes and plates.
The various collections are on display in the 300m² shop, from small items to very large ones, utility objects to decorative ones : coloured glass vases, jewellery, kitchenware, etc., the master glass-makers encompass a wonderful range of shapes, materials and colours.
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