1. First Encounter with Glass: Venini.

Many years ago, soon after getting my first job as a teacher, I bought a large Lalique vase, from an antique shop, in Plymouth. The vase was large — about 35 cm high — and made of light blue frosted glass, decorated with a deep press-moulded pattern of leaves, its surface etched and coated with blue powder.

I borrowed money from my uncle to pay for it, but never regretted spending the equivalent of more than half a month salary on a single, extra-ordinary object. This revived an embryonic interest in glass inspired by visits to the flea market in Aix-enProvence, whilst a student, and inspired a life-long practice to collect objects of quality and expect to pay for it, within my means. 

The pleasure this Lalique vase gave me over the years confirmed that spending as much as one can afford on one good piece is preferable to buying several cheaper, ordinary objects, that eventually — through accumulation — defuse each other, and add up to visual clutter. 

A few years later, I bought my first Venini vase, smaller, unsigned (and, thus, affordable), but unmistakably Venini. This vase, of cased blue 'pulegoso' glass over a layer of milky white ('lattimo') glass had specks of gold, sprinkled on the surface when the glass was still hot, that gave it a rich and subtle quality — reminiscent of an early night sky — qualities that could only be fully appreciated at close range. 

From the pictures I saw in books, it was probably made at Venini around 1930.

At the same shop, on that day, I encouraged my uncle to buy a signed Venini vase (see picture below). 

This encounter with two Venini vases; one (below) designed by Tommaso Buzzi in 1932 or 1933 (date Buzzi worked for Venini) — marked my introduction to Murano glass:

The experience of four burglaries in the space of two years, in my Liverpool home — when the burglers removed the two vases from the speakers of the stereo system on which they stood, put them on the floor, before walking off with my stereo system — induced me (albeit reluctantly) to part with the vases. 

This fear short-circuited what could have been the start of a glass collection.

Decades later, in 2015, the signed Venini was gifted to me, in memory of my defunct uncle Peter. 

By then I had acquired two large Venini vases made in 1984 and 1995 respectively.

3. A Short History of Murano Glass with Objects

My third encounter with Murano Glass took place during a recent visit to Venice, for the Art Biennale, in 2015; when I had the opportunity to visit the Museo del Vetro, see an exhibition of works by Fulvio Bianconi for Venini and visit the shops of the most important glass-making firms still active on Murano: Venini, Barovier & Toso, Seguso, Cenedese, and a few others.

Seeing quality works was an inspiration and revived an old passion… 

Whilst in Venice, I was shocked to learn that a glorious firm like Barovier and Toso had stopped making vases, and were focusing, instead, on lights; a line that, unlike Art vases, was economically viable. Aware of my interest, the shop attendent closed the shop and showed me the Barovier and Toso family museum.

Today all surviving Murano glass firms seem to have a light department from which they derive most of their income, and that enables them to survive. Moretti, for instance, produces limited-edition Champagne glasses.

There is, clearly, a limit to the number of vases any interested (and well off) individual — however passionate about glass — will buy in a life-time, and the average person is either unwilling or unable to pay the price. By contrast, contract work for chandeliers and other forms of luxury lighting (in Dubai and the Gulf, embassies, luxury hotels worldwide…) makes economic sense...

Upon my return to England I started scanning eBay for examples of Murano glass.

I soon realised that the vast majority of 'Murano' glass sold on eBay was second or third-rate, new and often mis-attributed and over-priced by the sellers.

In spite of this, I managed to acquire a Barovier & Toso green 'bullicante' vase and a yellow 'a Scavi' vase by Cenedese from a private seller whose parent had bought them during the 70s.

At the same time I bought a few modest pieces representative of what Barovier & Toso, Seguso, Fratelli Toso, Salviati and A.VE.M produced for the popular market.

Reading academic books about Murano glass, I learned that the spectacular vases made by glass-making companies for display at international exhibitions were immediately acquired by museums and by collectors; and that what was available through eBay was the lower end of the production; originally made to be sold via the network of department stores and gift shops in Venice and around the world. In a different league.

Uninformed sellers, however, describe these objects as 'rare' or extraordinary (unashamedly abusing the term 'stunning' in their descriptions).

Prudently averting the fanciful attributions and inflated prices asked by enthusiastic sellers, I set out to acquire a few representative samples that give some indication of the variety of works and styles produced in Murano, since the revival of the glass industries in the 1860s.

An early 'murrine' vase, by Fratelli Toso, from around 1900, carrying a worn paper label on its base (that, once, carried the serial number as well as the name of the firm):

provided a chronological starting point and induced me to look for pieces representative of some of the forms and techniques developed by Murano designers and glass-makers; that would provide a short history of Murano glass written with objects.

A delicate bowl with interwoven patterns of 'zanfirico' and 'filligrani' arabesques floating in the glass, perhaps by Salviati:

illustrates a strands that continued 19th century and earlier glass-making practices.

By contrast, two heavy ribbed vases of pink opaline, by Archimede Seguso; one signed 'Seguso Murano' on the base, and carrying a paper label bearing the vase serial number '9061':

the other, unsigned, but from the same period (late 40s-early 50s) and in the same style:

A red bowl, also by Archimede Seguso, still carrying its identifying label:

These pieces share an organic quality; the bowl: with an added lusciousness, suggestive of an exotic flower.

Both vases and the bowl (above) are ribbed, the result of having been blown in a wooden mould, and are surprisingly heavy — a sign of quality of the glass; for later Murano glass, in contrast with the lightness of earlier works such as this cornucopia made perhaps also by Salviati:

in which trails of gold specks run along the twist of the clear glass, to confer more depth:

Whoever made it, it reflects the persisting interest in the immediate post war period for historical styles. During the late 40s and early 50s glass makers like Seguso made both avant-garde works — for international exhibitions — and more traditional one (as seen above) for the luxury popular market.

This enabled a wider public eager to acquire works that recalled, by their style and historical references, the refined aristocratic objects made of previous centuries.

In his concern to push the technical limits of glass-making Archimede Seguso produced some vases with 'finestre' (windows) of clear glass that interrupted the pattern and enabled the viewer to see inside and through the vase:

The Quest for Modernity 

1. FORM

During the 1930s, with their 'Rostrato' series, designed by Ercole Barovier (1938-40), Ferro Toso e Barovier introduced modern free forms by pulling out pieces of glass from the moulten surface of vases, bowls, perfume bottles, etc., adding 'bollicine' (bubbles) to produce a decorative effect without resorting to color:

However after 1942, when the company was renamed Barovier & Toso, it continued to produce traditional forms as well; such as the one below; in response to more 'classical' taste.:

alongside the 'rostrato' and other avant-garde series.


2. COLOR

By contrast, during the 1950s A.VE.M (Arte Vetreria Muranese) mixed different techniques from traditional glass making (Murrine, Zanfirico, filligrano, etc.), against conventions, producing a riot of colors: 

This practice was widely imitated and is sometimes referred to as 'end of the day' pieces when remaining samples of glass of different color and textures were mixed creatively.
This technique is visible in one of Vittorio Ferro's vases (see section 5).


3. ALCHEMY: GOLD & SILVER

From 1939, when he was appointed artistic director of A.VE.M, Giulio Radi experimented till his premature death in 1952, by applying gold and silver leaf onto the hot glass surface, averting fusion. This enabled him to produce a complex, subtle abstract patterns across the surface of the glass: 

A similar effect had been experimented with at Venini, during the 30s, with fragments of gold; as can be seen in the vase in section one, above. Giulio Radi is credited with the discovery, that, in the more elaborate exhibition pieces, combined gold and silver with color. In any case, it was almost instantly adopted by other studios; as was customary in an industry that relied on the virtuosity and imagination of its glass blowers and was characterised by a sharing of processes (as a stimulus to innovation) rather than on closely kept secrets.

An examination of the base shows how skilful the application of the sheet of silver on the visible part of the vase needed to be; to avoid the fusion and the uncontrolled running of the metal onto the surface that occurred on the base:

Whereas the top of the first vase consisted of a piece of glass stretched around the rim to form a distinct lip, in the vase below : 

the mouth was grinded:

Here, too, the base shows the melting of the silver under uncontrolled thermic conditions:

The visible surface, however, shows a perfect control in avoiding fusion of the silver leaf to achieve a harmonious aleatoric distribution of the cracks across the surface of the vase.

During the 50s Seguso, like other Murano glass-makers, adopted forms that were developed simultaneously in ceramics and in glass, elsewhere, such as Scandinavia. The bottle vase below, signed on the base 'Seguso Murano', carries the remains of a label from that period, quite radically departs from the other works produced by this studio : 

In serious publications about Murano glass, where the focus is exclusively on prestigious exhibition pieces; the production for the mass market is unfortunately not addressed. Confined mostly to albums of pictures with price indications uncritically assembled for the lower-end collector, these publications contribute to create confusion in the minds of their readers; leading them to confuse serious art with tourist pieces. 

In retrospect, it seems that every company produced a wide range of products to satisfy different tastes, and that designs were liberally imitated by other studios when they proved popular. Likewise glass-makers shared their secrets, thus contributing to making stylistic overlaps.

During the 50s and 60s when the ashtray and the 'vide-poche' ('empty pockets') became ubiquitous cult objects for the home, the creations of A.VE.M and its imitators — especially the 'end of the day' bowls, ash trays, 'vide poches' and vases — enabled modernity to enter, modestly, in every home.

Today 'sommerso' glass vases sold on eBay are erroneously attributed to Flavio Poli; evident sign of ignorance, fueled by wishful thinking (this type of glass was widely produced in Scandinavia and in the Czech republic, as well).
A vase by Maria Stáhliková, illustrated in the sale catalog of a private collection of Czech Glass from 1940s to 1980s (Prague, 2010; cat. nº38) shows how easy it would be to mistake it for one of those 'sommerso' pieces allegedly produced in Murano.

Irrespective of the designer or studio, the serious collector should be able to discriminate between different levels of skill and appreciate the specific materialities of glass, embodied in different vases:

The quality of the glass in the living organic forms of two vases (centre) and of an abstract sculpture (right) of a series shown and acquired in 1958 by the original owner, at the Brussels Expo, stand in stark contrast with the vase (left), mass-produced for the popular market, and of a type regularly listed on eBay as 'Flavio Poli' pieces. Although they have a decorative quality, and the glass is of good quality; we must see them for what they are, and not confuse them with true Art pieces.

In reaction to the A.VE.M colourful range, and in contrast with some of their own production (see the red bowl above), and, perhaps influenced by the work of Henry Moore shown in 1948 and of Barbara Hepworth shown in 1950 at the Venice Biennale, and responding to changing artistic trends, Archimede Seguso developed a range of minimalist organic forms that combined the milky quality of 'lattimo' with gold specks in a series which he termed 'cartoccio avorio', for its color analogy with ivory:

These and a few other pieces of Murano glass gives some idea of the wide variety that was actually produced, to satisfy a broad range of taste; but does not reflect the experimental quality of the works produced for exhibitions; such as the Venice Biennale, the Milano Triennale and the Monza fair, etc.; in which glass studios competed to stretch the medium, and the skills and knowledge of its staff, and strove to produce, in combination with designers, the most extraordinary objects imaginable that inscribed Modernity into glass..
Unfortunately such objects formed a small fraction of the production  that is now well beyond the reach of the average collector.

The opportunity to acquire two pieces of glass: produced by Barovier and Toso, before the firm switched its production to lighting,

and an 'a scavi' vase, designed in 1969-70, by Antonio da Ross for Gino Cenedese:

completed this preliminary exploration of Murano glass, and prepared me for a surprising chance encounter with the work of Vittorio Ferro… 

2. Second Encounter with Venini

About twelve years ago I saw a selection of contemporary Venini glass vases at Jensen's in London. Among them was the striking Yemen, designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1984:

In the Venini catalogue I also saw a picture of Gea Color, designed in 1995 by Gae Aulenti; which Jensen's, very obligingly, arranged to have sent from the Venini shop in Paris, for me to view:

Unable to choose between the two, I took both home; aware that both were too special to leave one behind, and that their striking differences could create a dynamic display.

Twelve years on, these vases have not lost any of their interest; even after spending three years actively collecting ceramics that culminated in an exhibition project: Keramik Conversations

Embodying two very different styles and aesthetics, these two Venini vases also set standards for my next glass purchases, over ten years later.

4. Forth Encounter: Vittorio Ferro (1932-2012)

A chance encounter with vases made by virtuoso Murano glass blower at the beginning of the 21st century, sold by German dealer Design-and-Arts  on eBay, introduced me to the work of Vittorio Ferro (1931-2012), who worked for Fratelli Toso from the age of 13 (1945-) — when he started his apprenticeship under his two uncles; before becoming a 'master' in 1952 — and working there till the firm closed down in 1981.

During the thirty years he worked at Fratelli Toso, Vittorio Ferro developed virtuoso skills in glass making and made some of the most prestigious pieces, including the 'Nerox' series. Above all he became known for his creative use of 'murine'.
Some pieces he made throughout his working life were designed by top designers.

The fact that the vases he produced at Fratelli Toso were designed by others kept him in the shadow of the designers; except among his peers. Although Murano glass was the result of a close cooperation between designers and glass masters, only designers and the owner (who was often the designer) were credited as authors.

When Fratelli Toso closed down, Ferro set out to produce his own work; using the facilities of various 'fornace' — first De Majo, then Fratelli Pagnin, till it closed down in 2010; paying his way by making works for them. Ferro died two years later. He collaborated with Massimiliano Pagnin during those years, and some of the pieces may have been designed by Pagnin.

* * *

In this first vase, the reference to flowers is perceptible in the design that combines an element of realism with a strong sense of formal abstraction and a degree of transparency:

here, by contrast the murine are stretched and dissolve into a more abstract pattern in totally opaque glass:

Here, a checked pattern of murine in yellow and white is interrupted by a transparent band that run around the vase in its upper part; a virtuoso feat:

Here, by contrast, the opaque quality of the glass and its iridescent surface, typical of the 'Nerox' range he produced for Fratelli Toso, act as a background for a sparse punctuation of murine, abstractly suggestive of flowers:

In this vase, perhaps designed by/for Massimiliano Pagnin, Ferro used 'canne' — vertical strips of coloured glass — to produce a vase of striking minimalist design:

The vase below playfully presents an anthology of classical Murano glass-making techniques: murine, filigrana, battuto; in a vase that celebrates process:

Taking the process further, in a way that recalls the free compositions of Dino Martens for A.VE.M, the process is emphasised: to allow colors and forms to assert their autonomy in a profusion and a clash of effects:

In this vase, perhaps also designed by/for Massimiliano Pagnin, murine are combined with and framed by two large red 'canne', making the contrast between the two techniques the 'subject' of the work:

Reminiscent of Paul Klee's geometric compositions, the technique 'a mosaico' adopted here creates a dynamism that animates the surface and blurs the boundaries of the vase:

In this tenth piece, a single red 'canna', inserted in a black opaque glass body — echoing the famous  'Nerox' series he produced for Fratelli Toso — and the addition of a hole, distant echo of Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth's sculptures exhibited at the Venice Biennale, confer upon the vase a deliberately sculptural quality: 

An auction organised by design-and arts (he source of all my Ferro purchases but one), enabled me to acquire this vase that, although recalling Dino Martins' designs, very much bears the stamp of Ferro, in the free mosaic-like abstract assemblage of blown up 'murine' that confers upon it its playful dynamism:

The wide selection of Ferro vases auctioned by design-and-arts inspired me to acquire six other vases, which, with the others, gives a good (but not  a full) measure of Ferro's virtuosity in glass:

Seizing the opportunity to acquire these vases during the brief period they were available on the market, following their dissemination by the various heirs, has enabled me to gather a fairly representative selection of works by a virtuoso glass-maker who took advantage of adverse economic factors (the closure of his firm) to become an author in glass.

In the domestic modernist space of the Experimental House, these vases have not been turned into captive museum artefacts, but interact with a wide range of other art works in which they share the space, dynamically...

There is no sign, however, that the history of Murano art glass is being re-written yet; except here and by a few collectors.

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