Ah! Jackpot! While wandering the streets of Rome Kurt and I stumbled upon the most beautiful blown glass shop. We went inside to meet the owner and in house glass artist, a man by the name of Mazen Rankoussi. Mazen was beyond welcoming as he talked to us about his treasure trove of art glass, all handmade by himself. Mazen showed me some of the books he uses to gain inspiration and which pieces in his shop reflected Roman, Venetian, and Murano techniques. He talked to me about his life as a glass artist for over 21 years. He has lived in Roma for over 20 years, and considers himself a native of Italy. His roots however, take him back to his birthplace of Syria where he told us about how glass was discovered there dating 2000 years before Christ. That a massive fire burnt along the Syrian coast turning the beach sand to molten glass. Mazen’s work was absolutely beautiful, his shop unbelievably quaint, and his hospitality overwhelming. He gave each of us a glass bead as we left the shop wishing us good luck during the rest of our trip. Meeting Mazen and seeing all of his beautiful handmade Roman art was a total surprise and pleasure.
