Does Glass Art Ever Break?

We may think of modern glass artworks as delicate structures, but in fact, glass is an extraordinarily sturdy material. With 2,000 years of history behind the art of glassblowing, its methods have only been improved through modern chemistry and technology. Over 90% of glass used today in artworks and sculpture is enriched with lime to enhance its chemical structure and to prevent water corrosion, making sure that carefully constructed glass pieces can withstand many of the tests of time.

Of course, glass is also fragile — and heavy: 70 to 74% of the weight of blown glass comes from fused quartz, or pure silica. As we all know, if you drop glass, it will most likely break.

This is a risk all glass artists take, as do art glass galleries and the people who buy modern art made of glass. It’s an occupational hazard, as they say. While modern glass art is an incomparable addition to any home, gallery, or museum art collection, it requires extreme precautions when handling, shipping, and maintaining.

It’s a tragedy when fine glass works break, but it does happen. That’s simply the nature of glass.

When the Atlanta Botanical Gardens began installation of their “Chihuly in the Garden” series earlier this year — an exhibit featuring hundreds of works by famed modern glass artist Dale Chihuly — an appendage from his “Sol del Citron” piece snapped off.

However, that piece was only one of 1,300 rays extending from the “Sol del Citron.” Considering the entire work weighs 5,768 pounds and took a team of four people five days to install, it’s a relatively minor casualty.

Shipping glass sculptures by mail is another fraught issue. Art auctions and sales over the Internet are increasingly common; around 71% of all collectors say they have purchased a piece online at some point. Glass must be carefully packaged and handled throughout the delivery process, which is why here at Habatat we have specialists with experience in fine art packaging on hand.

Glass artists tend to take extra delivery precautions, for obvious reasons. Chihuly’s team claims to have a less than 1% breakage rate.

However, even the worst of accidents can sometimes lead to the most profound discoveries. Shattered glass can be transformed into beautiful displays with the right eye — though we don’t suggest you try this at home with your contemporary sculptures. Take care around your glass art and it will shine on for years to come.