Lattimo (opaque white glass)
Lattimo is an Italian term for opaque white glass. The name derives from latte, meaning milk. The material may resemble porcelain, but it is glass and should be assessed through surface, fracture, shaping and production traces.
How the glass becomes white
The Corning Museum of Glass describes lattimo as glass usually opacified with tin oxide or arsenic compounds. This is a general technical description and does not mean that every white glass object has the same recipe. Composition cannot be established securely by sight alone.
Milk glass and confusion
Milk glass is listed as an alternative name by the source. In the market, the term can also be applied broadly to other opaque white glass. Separate the material name from maker, age and place of production. Do not grind, drill or heat unidentified older glass to test its composition.
