Incalmo

This is a technique invented in Murano in the 16th century but only really taken up in the second half of the 20th century.

The effect is that of obtaining blown objects characterised by two or more areas of different colours or coloured differently. Two cylindrically-shaped blown objects which are different in colour or decoration, one attached to a blow pipe and the other to a pontil, are fused along the edge having the same diameter. The pontil is removed from one end and the object, which is now one piece, can be blown further and shaped: this can be repeated more than once.

Recently, vertical incalmoes have also been produced by moving the pontil sideways and consequently rotating the axis of the vase by ninety degrees.