Glass Information and Education

lace glass: A mid-sixteenth century Venetian-styled glass characterized by transparent threaded designs layered on the sides of various glass objects.

laminate: In glass fusing, the uniting of layers of glass without necessarily changing the origional shape of the glass pieces (referred to as fuse-to-stick). Glass constructions, glued together, are often referred to as laminated.

laminated safety glass: A composite of two sheets of float glass with a layer of transparent plastic in the middle, sandwiched together by the application of moderate heat and pressure.

lampworking: The working or shaping of glass over a flame or a torch to cause flow.

latticinio/latticino (latte, milk): Clear glass embedded with opaque white glass threads forming a filigree pattern.

lattimo (German Milchglas, 'milk glass'): Opaque white glass, a term used to denote an object decorated with marvered bands of opaque white glass or one entirely of such glass.

lava glass: A style of art glass invented by Louis Comfort Tiffany characterized by dark blue and gray opaque hues, that is sometimes coated with gold or silver decorations.

lavender oil: A light oil made from the lavender plant which is often used for a binder when applying enamels.

lead crystal: Crystal or colorless glass made with a high lead content.

lead glass: A type of soft glass containing a large amount of lead oxide, first made in about 1676 by George Ravenscroft as a remedy for crisselling, and eventually superseding the more fragile Venetian soda glass.

lehr: A long, tunnerl-shaped oven with a continuously moving belt or rollers which is designed for annealing, sagging, slumping, or for firing enamels or lusters on glass.

lipper: A wooden tool shaped like a truncated cone, with handle, that is used to form lips on certain vessels.

luster: A suspension of metallic oxides in an organic solvent. Upon firing, the organic binders volitilize, leaving an extremely thin layer of metal oxides fused to the glass surface.