Before lampworking, glasswork required a tremendous amount of energy, depleting the forests of Europe. It seemed wasteful, even to medieval artisans, to consume so much resource to make such small things. Then it was discovered that by forcing a narrow stream of air into the flame from an oil lamp, sufficient heat could be generated to soften and work small pieces of glass.
Origin
Unknown
Journal Title
Kanch 7 3 Dec 1999 3-5, 7
Sector
Domestic glass
Class
D 469