social standing of glassblowers

[sandtrout]

Hello to everyone, could someone shine light on the social standing glassblowers?
More specificly, I am wondering about the time(roughly medieval) when they were periodicly moving from one place to another, were they seen with suspicion, due to being strangers or admired for their craft?
What I seem to remember is, that they moved as a closeknit group of familys and some apprentices, so the work wouldn't provide much mingling with the locals.
Also, would they be able to aquire more wealth (and move it around with them instead of leaving it in the local pub)than the average trade?

Thanks for your input.

 

[Jerseydevil]

I'm a military historian, but I'll take a crack at this anyway. I'm not certain of this, but I was always under the assumption that glass blowers were not constantly moving but were established members of the community. The equipment needed for making glass, especially the furnace to heat the sand, would be large and difficult to transport. Also, during the middle ages, glass was a luxury good, something only the wealthy could afford, making the high quality glass blower a valued member of the community, and potentially, very rich. They would be seen as a craftsman, like a blacksmith or a silver smith.

 

[skip.knox]

Jerseydevil is correct. No itinerant glassblowers. I suppose you could have a giant be one, so he could carry the furnace around. I wonder where you got the impression they moved about.

If you want a good look at glassblowers, look up "medieval glass blowers" and you'll find some good articles. Here is one to get you started.
ASGS - History of Glassblowing
As the article mentions, it's not just the furnace that keeps the glass blower in place, it's also the need for a steady supply of firewood (so, nearby forests) and good quality sand.

As for their social standing, it would depend on what time period, but it would have been in the middling range of craftsmen. Glass was used for very high end as well as very mundane purposes, so the glass blower would have had a full range of clients. A good rule of thumb for guessing the social standing of a craft is to consider the social standing of the craftsman's customers.

Now, because this is fantasy, you could easily make them high status just by adding some magical ingredient into the mix.