Glass sculpture – Interpretation of the Pleiades Star Cluster M45. Irish glassware product

Interpretation of the Pleiades Star Cluster M45 glass sculpture – contemporary glassware hand made in Ireland by Keith Sheppard Glass Artistry.

Handcrafted Irish glassware, high quality ‘Bullseye’ architectural fused glass Sculpture. An interpretation of the Pleiades Star Cluster M45. Also known as the Seven Sisters. This is the most famous star cluster in our sky. The bright stars of the Pleiades can be seen without binoculars from even the depths of a light-polluted city. The Pleiades lies about 400 light years away. Towards the constellation of the Bull (Taurus).

In Greek Mythology - The Pleiades were the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione born on Mount Cyllene. Together with the seven Hyades, they were called the Atlantides, Dodonides, or Nysiades, being nursemaids and teachers to the infant Dionysus. They were thought to have been translated to the night sky as a cluster of stars, the Pleiades, and were associated with rain.

The glass sculpture is made using the following processes -

• Prior to the first firing in the kiln the glass is ‘cold worked’ on the edges with a diamond saw. This forms the haphazard serrated edges.
• Additional glass inclusions are made and fired separately with crushed glass. thay are then individually positioned prior to a further kiln firing. During the final kiln firing copper is infused into the underside of the glass. This reacts with the mineral content of the glass forming fantastic copper highlights and a random patternation.

The glass sculpture is presented in a Mopani Tropical hardwood base (environmentally sustainable source).

The sculpture explores the relationship between glass and light. With an iridised coating on the glass this sculpture reacts to differing lighting conditions.

Details: Glass diameter 28cm (approx).

FAQs -

• Clean with warm soapy water and dry immediately.
• Designed and produced in Ireland using materials sourced in Ireland.