As well as the obvious magnificence of stained glass windows in places of worship, glass has been used throughout history in the production of sacred objects such as candlesticks and communion sets, which add the lustre of glass to religious ceremonies.
Glass-blowers employed in the glass works were often skilled artists, and during their time off, they created special glass objects for their friends or to show off their skills. Canes, swans, vases, and chains are among the most popular of these "whimsies."
The properties of glass lend themselves to creative use in purely decorative items and in transforming functional items into works of art. After World War II a number of companies, among them Altaglass in Alberta and Lorraine Glass Industries in Montreal, began producing decorative glass with the help of immigrant European glass workers. As well, many individual artists have recreated ancient glass-blowing and glass-making techniques to create wonderful modern examples of the beauty of glass.
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