Meticulous grinding adds texture to these glasses formed by the free-blowing technique. Throughout the entire process of making free-blown glass, glassblowers do not use molds. Instead, the glass is shaped using such simple tools as jacks, which resemble large tweezers, and pads called shirin made of water-soaked folded newspaper. Glass tends to harden as soon as it is removed from the furnace, so the glassblower must form the glass object by repeatedly moving it in and out of the furnace to soften it. It takes about 20 minutes to create one glass. Unlike mold-blown glass, free-blown glass is mostly shaped by hand, giving each piece a completely different look according to the skill and sensibility of the glassblower. Some glasses come out with a wavy surface; others may differ slightly in shape or size. These individual variations are the source of the strong presence that free-blown glasses exude. Grinding the surface adds an impression of hardness even to round-shaped glasses, while also adding gentle shades of color that cover the glass as if with a veil.
