Goblet Made from Three Bubbles

This goblet consists of three bubbles that are attached directly.  The first gather will become the cup or bowl of the goblet.  Marvering is used to make the glass perfectly smooth, perfectly concentric with the blowpipe.  Air is blown in, and the bubble is formed.  The tip is marvered to cool the outer part of the gather.  After reheating, the glassblowing can begin to form the cup.  The glass is elongated; a constriction is begun near the blowpipe.  A rubber tube allows air to be blown into the pipe while tooling takes place.  The shape of the cup is conical.  Excess glass is trimmed free at the bottom.  The lower half is reheated to give the cup its final shape.  The conical shape is elongated with centripetal force.  The end of the bubble is made perfectly flat.  A second gather is collected on the end of another blowpipe, and a small bubble blown.  This is attached directly to the tip of the first bubble.  A constriction is made to make the bubble its proper size.  The excess glass is broken free.  A third bubble is gathered on a third blowpipe, inflated, and lowered carefully onto the tip of the second bubble.  This is cut free of its blowpipe. The glass is elongated, and a constriction is made.  The excess glass is knocked free, leaving a hole.  After reheating the foot bubble, the jacks are used to increase the diameter of the hole.  The soffietta is used to cool the second bubble.  During reheating to soften the foot, the second bubble unavoidably softens.  The soffietta is used to inflate the diameter of the foot bubble.  The edge of the foot has a folded rim.  The double thickness is attractive, and it creates a stronger rim.  After the foot is given its final shape, the puffer (or soffietta) is used to cool the site where the punty will be attached.  The entire vessel is heated to a temperature of about 1000 degrees, and the punty is attached.  The neck is broken, and the uppermost part of the bubble reheated.  A combination of reheating, tooling with the jacks, and inflating the glass further with the soffietta is used to create the final, conical form.  Throughout the process, it’s essential to keep all parts of the goblet well above 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, or cracking may occur.  The vessel is given a final flash in the furnace, broken free of the punty, and placed in the annealing oven.