Spotted Donkey Bowl On Pale Plum Glass 4″

This small plate is part of our Painted Work equestrian collection of home decor. It is 4″ in diameter.

We hope you enjoy this versatile, one-of-a-kind, art glass piece. You can simply admire it in the plate stand we include with it, or give it a job. 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 items. Whatever you decide, It will be a beautiful complement to your home or an appreciated gift for anyone who enjoys fine things. Or who loves donkeys.

Creating it was a 6-step process. First, two 4″ diameter circles of glass were cut. The whimsical donkey was handpainted on a circle of transparent, pale plum glass using special enamel paint. This circle was placed on top of a circle of opaline glass — a unique glass that starts out clear and turns a lovely, semi-opaque, blueish white, when exposed to high heat. The two layers were placed an electric kiln and heated to 1475ºF, the temperature at which glass melts so the layers fused together, and the paint matures to its deepest color and adheres to the glass. After fusing, the edge of the piece was ground to eliminate irregularities and it was fired again, this time to 1425ºF, just hot enough to melt the edge and “fire polish” the rim. At this point it was still flat. As a final step, the fused piece was put back in the kiln on top of a mold and heated to 1250ºF. At this temperature the glass softens and gravity causes it to sink into the mold and assume its final shape.