We were convinced by our fellow guests at the dock to stay and extra day so that we could visit the Chrysler Museum. Google it, it’s fabulous.
They have a particular interest in glass and it was amazing. This is life size cast glass, ie moulded. Hugely long and complicated process whereby the artist constructs the mould using clothes stiffened with hairspray and then, once poured, the glass has to be cooled very slowly in a special oven over 5 – 6 months!! The artist has no idea what the finished product will look like because there are so many variables in the process.
Another favourite was this chess set which may be difficult to see in detail on the blog. The artist had been brought up in a mixed Jewish and catholic community so the chess set has Catholic characters on the left and Jewish on the right. The detail and the humour in each peace was a delight. 
Here’s a taster….. 
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The museum also ran a glass blowing studio where they held daily demonstrations. The 3,000 degree (Fahrenheit) furnaces were pretty toasty and this is the first time Mike had been warm for days apparently.
We had not expected anything as detailed or interesting as the demonstration which lasted about 1 ½ hours during which they made a turkey! (It is nearing the Thanksgiving holiday). It really was riveting stuff. |
Today’s turkey is still attached to the blowing tube on the right. It is still heated to a bazillion degrees and therefore discoloured. Yesterday’s turkey is on the left showing the final colours. A bit like the dress, the glass had to then cool slowly otherwise it would shatter so it was put into an oven to cool overnight. |
Some other eccentricities made of glass….
And the not so eccentric. It was difficult to believe this incredibly detailed and elegant piece was glass, especially now we knew just how difficult it is to work with because of the constraints of keeping the temperatures so high. Watching the turkey being made we had a sense that one slip and the whole thing would be fragments. It isn’t like a piece of clay that you just move if you put it in the wrong place. Imagine getting this a bit wrong just as you are nearly finished….. |
Finally some Cameo glass. This was several layers of different coloured glass pressed together and then carved so that a picture emerged. |
There was a room of Tiffany glass as well including Peacock and Dragonfly lampshades which were exquisite and fabulous but really didn’t surprise and interest us as much as these pieces did. |
