Murano Glassmaking Recipes. Gasparo Brunoro and the Manuscript of Gdansk

Translation by Francesco Mazzaferro
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Ricette vetrarie muranesi
Gasparo Brunoro e il manoscritto di Danzica
[Murano Glassmaking Recipes. Gasparo Brunoro and the Manuscript of Gdansk]

Edited by Cesare Moretti, Carlo Stefano Salerno e Sabina Tommasi Ferroni

Florence, Nardini publisher, 2004

Barovier Wedding Cup (1470-1480 ca.), Murano Glass Museum
Source: http://museovetro.visitmuve.it/it/il-museo/percorsi-e-collezioni/vetro-xv-xvi-xvii-secolo/

From the Collection of  Murano Glass Museum -  XVI century
Source http://museovetro.visitmuve.it/it/il-museo/percorsi-e-collezioni/vetro-xv-xvi-xvii-secolo/

[1] This is the transcription of the text of the manuscript n. 5461 of the Casanatense Library in Rome. The manuscript, the drafting of which is shown to have occurred in Gdansk in 1645, is divided into two parts. Only the first part is reported here, since it has to do with the techniques of production of the glass, while the second "develops themes of a more speculative alchemical nature." (p. 9).

From the Collection of Murano Glass Museum
Source: http://museovetro.visitmuve.it/it/il-museo/percorsi-e-collezioni/vetro-xv-xvi-xvii-secolo/

[2] The title of the manuscript is as follows: “Libro de’ segreti cavato da molti mastri di cristali et da altri homeni literati. / Sperimentato da Gasparo Brunoro detto 3 Corone da Muran di Venezia Mastro di Cristali e di colori famosissimi, da lui molto lodato.” (Book of secrets, originating from many crystal masters and other literate men. / Experimented by Gasparo Brunora said ‘Three crowns’, from Muran Venice, Crystal master and of most famous colours, and highly praised by him). It is reasonable to think that Gasparo Brunoro - said Three crowns from the name of the glasswork shop that his family owned in Murano - was the material owner of a text or of some books on glassmaking. In fact, Gasparo belonged to one of those families which were dedicated to art for centuries and that, despite the tenuous resistance of the Venetian Republic, moved to northern Europe, where the foundations and knowledge were laid for the flourishing of new and successful glasswork businesses. Brunoro was therefore - probably - the possessor of several recipe collections "originating from many masters of crystals", which allowed him - it is assumed for a fee – to be transcribed in Gdansk. Even more: the name of Brunoro, famous craftsman of the Murano school, was placed to guarantee the validity of the recipes.

From the Collection of Murano Glass Museum
Source: http://museovetro.visitmuve.it/it/il-museo/percorsi-e-collezioni/vetro-xv-xvi-xvii-secolo/

[3] The first part of the manuscript (the one transcribed) is composed of 410 recipes, most of which (255) for glasses of various kinds; 36 are recipes of "preparation and handling of raw materials by the glazer, 21 of metallurgy, 24 of alchemical character; besides also appear 38 medical prescriptions and forty of various subjects "(p. 11). Even limiting the field only to the recipes strictly related to the preparation of the glass, the figure that emerges is that of a larger recipe-book (sometimes even in a consistent manner), compared to a few others that we know: the Arte vetraria (the Art of glassmaking by Antonio Neri, for example, has a total (thus also including those not strictly related to the glass) of 123 recipes.

From the Collection of Murano Glass Museum
Source: http://museovetro.visitmuve.it/it/il-museo/percorsi-e-collezioni/vetro-xv-xvi-xvii-secolo/

[4] It is useful to deepen the comparison between the manuscript of Gdansk and the Arte vetraria, as the curators do in their introductory essay, because it raises interesting considerations. First of all, fifty recipes turns out to be similar or even identical, demonstrating that both Brunoro and Neri draw on common sources and these sources have a common Venetian matrix. The Book by Neri was released in 1612. One might think that the Brunoro has borrowed directly from the printed version of the work, but a careful examination reveals that things are not so. Both Neri both Brunoro testify therefore the existence of a common written tradition, unfortunately unknown to us, that draws its lifeblood from glassmaking workshops of Murano.