Fused Glass is comprised of layers of glass which are heated in increments of controlled temperature increases until it softens and becomes almost molten, so that the layers fuse together to become one, at temperatures of up to 1500 degrees. It must then be cooled, or annealed, properly to achieve a unified, unbroken piece of glass.
The dish you see here has been fused and then slumped, which is a second process which occurs at temperatures of 1200-1300 degrees. During slumping the glass piece is "slumped" into or over a ceramic or stainless steel form to take the desired shape.
The final step is cold-working, or using a grinder to clean up the edges, and then often a third firing, or fire polishing is done to give the piece a finished, shiny look.
