How did they do this in production?

They were probably placed in the annealer every so often, taken out, worked and returned. Many larger flameworked pieces are done in this manner.

Well, since glass from China is a relatively new phenominon I would guess that that source is unlikely. But, with the detail on the rim, I would think is was made upside down in a jig with a textured goove to hold and form that shape and detail on top of the rim and it had a riser in the center to support the center disk inside. Pressed glass "rope" was placed in the groove. The jig was heated, perhaps in an annealer from underneath, the lower level of strands were added, whatever spacer is in between, the upper level added then the top disk. HOWEVER, the more I look at it, especially those mashed ends of the strands against the sharp detail of the rim where they attach (no mushing), I wonder if it is not glazed pottery. Are you sure it is glass?

there are little marks where the pink bands were pushed into the underlying ring that indicate a thumb/finger pressure print. My guess also is clay with a heavy glaze. m

Well, darn, I thought it was glass but maybe it is porcelain. I didn't see any stilt marks but now that I look at it closer it looks like the glaze is wearing away on the foot. Sorry guys. I wish it was glass, oh well.

If your computer is running slow on the Internet (as mine was earlier this week), check your systems resources. Mine was pegged at 100% and stayed there. I looked at which processes were running and saw nothing odd there, but when I looked closely into my "backup" files I found that stupid "blaster" virus again (msblast.exe). I got rid of it ages ago but it resurfaced somehow. Once I deleted it my usage instantly went down from

- Steve Richardson St Louis

Thanks Steve, I searched for that but did not find it. System seems OK but the speed on the DSL seems to be fluctuating wildly. My husband has been testing the DSL, sometimes it is real slow. Might be a problem with Verizon and the hurricane.