A couple of things I would like to add:
The importance of the flat clear glass techniques developed in the mid to late 17th century was that they enabled *really* flat glass to be made. The prime importance of being able to produce big flat mirrors back then was, curiously enough, vanity. Louis the whatever (the Sun King) pushed the technology forward when he commissioned his Hall of Mirrors in Versaille. Those dandies wanted to look at themselves from all sorts of different angles, and they needed mirrors that weren't going to show them twisted and distorted (even a little bit). These big mirrors were also wanted to help light up these enourmous halls.
I don't believe metal mirrors were much use beyond the hand mirror stage.
Bottle glass windows are the sort where you blow glass against a flat surface - as a couple of people described. It's sort of flat - and I believe has a characteristic bobbly bit in the middle.
Clear glass was developed out of the need to move from charcoal smelting to coal smelting. This happened in the mid 1600s again when there was a lack of wood (it was all being requisitioned by the navy to build ships). Moving to coal smelting meant using covered pots to hold your glass in (to stop the coal impurities getting in). That meant you couldn't stir it, which meant you had to develop a better mixture for your glass. This was how flint glass was born, which was clearer, another sort (clearer still) followed (but I can't remember what it was).
There is a shortage of wood in Glorantha, so charcoal smelting probably doesn't happen. Coal smelting would have followed the path above, but smelting using magical fires could cause all sorts of things.
Sextants, BTW, are useful in map making too.
Incidentally, my reason for asking about this is that I'm designing the ancient Zola Fel temple in the rubble for my campaign. I was wondering whether windows could be used to allow the "fish" priests to look in on the non-fish activities (a sort of reverse Sea Life Center). Bottle glass would be fine, though you would want it as transparent as possible. It would need to be re-inforced if it was going to be deep.
Cheers
Richard
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Richard Develyn Tel: (UK)-1732-743591 Principal Architect / Development Manager Fax: (UK)-1732-743597 Network People International http://www.nwpeople.com ------------------------------
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