by Xinhua Writer Shuai Anning
BRUSSELS, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- One blowpipe, two furnaces and several moulds, those are all it takes to make a crystal art piece. It is a craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations, and is still applied in Belgium's oldest crystal factory, Val Saint Lambert.
To make a crystal piece, first the glassblower takes a blob of liquid glass out of the furnace that has been heated to 1,400 Celsius degree, then blows the liquid through a blowpipe into a bell. Then by repeatedly heating, moulding and blowing, the glassware gradually forms the shape.
When the shape is set, the crystal will be cut and polished by the cutter.
Different cutting techniques determine the specific light reflections and the appearances of the piece. The finishing work -- engraving, etching, sandblasting, enamelling, etc. gives the final character of the work.
Such craftsmanship has been handed down through generations in Val Saint Lambert since it was founded in 1826. All the procedures are done by hand, which is very time-consuming. A vase with exquisite cuttings could take a whole day to complete.
The exquisiteness of crystal art piece made it one of the most popular luxury items at the end of 19th century and the beginning of the 20th: From the wine cups of Russian czars to the chandeliers in the Gwalior maharajah palace in India, Val Saint Lambert has made its appearances in many prestigious occasions and settings.
But the two world wars and great depression strongly hit the crystal industry. Declining as a luxury product, the crystal ware became more functional.
Nowadays, in an era of machinization and mass production, the production of crystal art piece is also available now by machines. But Val Saint Lambert is not going to follow the trend.
There is still a lot of work can't be done by machines, said Pierre Grivegnee of Val Saint Lambert.
Proudly pointing a crystal vase about 1.5 meters high with delicate cuttings, Grivegnee said: "We are probably the only factory that can produce a vase at such size".
