Stirrup Dish on Steel Green Glass 4″

This bowl is part of our Stirrup Collection of equestrian home decor. It is 4″ in diameter.

This one-of-a-kind art glass piece can simply be admired on the plate stand that comes with it, or you can give it a job to do. Use it to hold jewelry, change, or keys. Place a small candle or decorative soap in it. Use it to serve dips and small food i tems. Whatever you decide, It is a beautiful complement to the home of any horse lover, either yourself or someone you know who appreciates fine things.

Creating the dish was a 6-step process.
Selecting the Glass: First two circles of glass were cut to the dimensions of the finished piece, one clear and the other steel green, a glass that has an interesting property, as you will see.
Creating the Design: The stirrup pattern was created using a process called “powder printing”. Finely ground clear glass (known as powder frit) was sifted onto the green glass, everywhere but on the stirrup itself, using a stencil created on our laser cutter. Then, a little yellow and dark green frit was applied in a marble pattern. After lifting the stencil and removing stray glass powder, this circle was placed on top of the clear glass circle.
Fusing in the Kiln: The two layers were placed in an electric kiln and heated to 1475 degrees, the temperature at which glass melts and the layers fused together. The clear powdered glass protected the green color, making the stirrup pattern appear shiny and the rest of the bowl matte.
Refining the Edges:Next, the edge of the piece was ground to eliminate irregularities.
Shaping the Dish: Lastly, the piece was put back in the kiln, this time on top of a mold, and heated to 1250 degrees. At this temperature the glass softened and gravity caused it to sink into the mold and assume its final shape.