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Venini Furniture

Italian

Beginning in the 1930s — and throughout the postwar years especially — Venini & Co. played a leading role in the revival of Italy’s high-end glass industry, pairing innovative modernist designers with the skilled artisans who created extraordinary chandeliers, sconces and other lighting in the centuries-old glass workshops on the Venetian island of Murano.

While the company’s co-founder, Paolo Venini (1895–1959), was himself a highly talented glassware designer, his true genius was to invite forward-thinking Italian and international designers to Murano’s hallowed workshops to create Venini pieces — among them Gio Ponti, Massimo Vignelli, Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala, Thomas Stearns of the United States and Fulvio Bianconi.

Paolo Venini trained and practiced as a lawyer for a time, though his family had been involved with glassmaking for generations. After initially buying a share in a Venetian glass firm — he and antiques dealer Giacomo Cappellin established Vetri Soffiati Cappellin Venini & C. in 1921 — Venini took over the company as his own in 1925, and under his direction, it produced mainly classical Baroque designs.

In 1932, Venini hired the young Carlo Scarpa— who would later distinguish himself as an architect — as his lead designer. Scarpa, working in concert with practiced glass artisans, completely modernized Venini, introducing simple, pared-down forms; bright primary colors; and bold patterns such as stripes, banding and abstract compositions that utilized cross sections of murrine (glass rods).

Paolo Venini’s best designs are thought to be his two-color Clessidre hourglasses, produced from 1957 onward, and the Fazzoletto (“handkerchief”) vase, designed with Bianconi in 1949. Bianconi’s masterworks are considered by many to be his Pezzato works — colorful vases with patterns that resemble those of a patchwork quilt.

Other noteworthy and highly collectible vintage Venini works include Ponti’s dual-tone stoppered bottles (circa 1948); rare glass sculptures from the Doge series by Stearns, the first American to design for the firm; Vignelli’s striped lanterns of the 1960s; the Occhi vases with eyelet-shaped patterns by Tobia Scarpa (son of Carlo); and, with their almost zen purity, the Bolle (“bubbles”) bottles designed by Wirkkala in 1968. 

With these works — and many others by some of the creative titans of the 20th and 21st centuries — Venini has produced one of the truly great bodies of work in modern design.

Find antique and vintage Venini chandeliers, serveware, table lamps, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Venini
Dealer: Modest Designs
Vintage Fulvio Bianconi Pezzato Vase for Venini
By Fulvio Bianconi, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Model 1329 in the 'Paris' colorway of red, blue, green, and hay yellow glass. One of Bianconi's major contributions to the art of glassmaking, the Pezzato series premiered at the 195...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Venini Furniture

Materials

Art Glass

Fulvio Bianconi Fasce Bottle for Venini, Signed
By Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Beautiful early example of this Classic Venini design. Extra-long neck and bright yellow stripe on dark blue base. Venini label sticker covers most of the acid stamp.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Venini Furniture

Materials

Glass

Large Massimo Vignelli Pendant Lamp for Venini
By Venini, Massimo Vignelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Largest size pendant in white, tan and orange fasce glass. Early example is in pristine condition.
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Venini Furniture

Materials

Glass

Fulvio Bianconi, Pair Doppio Incalmo Vases, Model 4396
By Fulvio Bianconi, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Early examples of this rare form. Hand blown glass in the incalmo technique; one in a clear, blue and red banded design, the other blue, clear and purple. The incalmo process, first ...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Venini Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Pair of 1940s, Venini Canister Lamps
By Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Great early pair of glass rod canister lamps with nickeled brass hardware and glass ball finial. Internal light gives beautiful mood lighting. Original l...
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Venini Furniture

Materials

Nickel

Venini Brass and Cased Glass Lantern
By Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Cobolt blue and milk glass lantern-styled ceiling lamp with brass blade armature.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Venini Furniture

Materials

Glass

Two Massimo Vignelli Pendant Lights for Venini
By Venini, Massimo Vignelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Striped cased glass pendants.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Venini Furniture

Materials

Glass

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Venini Fungo Pendant Light in Gray and White by Massimo Vignelli
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Venini Couple Table Lamp Murano Glass Brass, 1940, Italy
By Venini
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Venini couple table lamp Murano glass brass, 1940, Italy.
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Pair of 1940s Nickel Urn Lamps
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Massimo Vignelli Style Striped Murano Glass Pendant Lamp, Midcentury, Italy
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Large glass tear-drop pendant light, Italy, probably circa 1960's Well-sized glass pendant fixture consisting of a beautiful blown glass shade with white on white stripes which al...
Category

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Pair of Amber Alabaster Urn Lamps, circa 1940s
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Venini Chandelier Yellow Glass Iron Brass, 1955, Italy
By Venini
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Chandelier Venini yellow glass iron brass, 1955, Italy.
Category

1950s Italian Other Vintage Venini Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Pair of Brass and Glass Bauhaus Table Lamps, 1940s
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- Czechoslovakia, - 1940s - Intact original glasse - New electricity - Good original condition. - Polished.         
Category

1930s Czech Bauhaus Vintage Venini Furniture

Materials

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Large Venini Sigaro Pendant Fixture by Massimo Vignelli
By Venini
Located in New York, NY
Venini sigaro pendant in lemon yellow with colored ban striped bottom, designed by Massimo Vignelli. Rare extra large (20") size. Perfect condition, curr...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Venini Furniture

Materials

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1950s Murano, Venini & Co. Round Pendant in Orange and White Cased Glass
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Category

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Materials

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Massimo Vignelli Pendant Lamp for Venini, Italy, 1950s
By Venini, Massimo Vignelli
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Massimo Vignelli pendant lamp for Venini, Italy, 1950s.
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Venini Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Previously Available Items
Pair of Venini Pendant Lights by Massimo Vignelli
By Venini, Massimo and Lella Vignelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Red and white striped cased glass lights. Out of production. Venini sticker to one unit. Can be purchased separately.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Venini Furniture

Two Massimo Vignelli Pendant Lights for Venini
By Venini, Massimo Vignelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Striped cased glass pendants.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Venini Furniture

Materials

Glass

Egg Sculpture by Tapio Wirkkala for Venini
By Tapio Wirkkala, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tapio Wirkkala's design for a series of egg sculptures venini produced in the mid-1960s. Gold-leaf yolk in a clear glass egg rests on a glass pedestal. Signed Venini Italia.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Venini Furniture

Carlo Scarpa Mortar and Pestle for Venini
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Beautiful example of 1930s Venetian glass. Emerald green glass with thick gold inclusions. Designed by one of the greatest Venini designers. Two line acid stamp on each piece dates ...
Category

1930s Italian Vintage Venini Furniture

Fulvio Bianconi Fasce Bottle for Venini-- Signed
By Venini, Fulvio Bianconi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Beautiful and large early example of this classic Venini design. Extra-long flaring neck and bright red stripes on a dark blue base. Venini sticker labels covers most of the acid stamp.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Venini Furniture

Venini furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Venini furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of glass and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Venini furniture, although beige editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 1,141 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 1,298 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Venini were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Ettore Sottsass, Artemide, and Vistosi. Prices for Venini furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $11 and can go as high as $377,941, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,694.
Questions About Venini Furniture
  • 1stDibs ExpertNovember 4, 2024
    To identify Venini glass, first look for markings, usually found on the base or interior of glassware. Over its long history, Venini used dozens of labels and acid-stamped marks on its pieces. You can find images of these marks on the pages of trusted online resources to compare to your piece. Keep in mind that Venini's foil labels tend to come off over the years, so a lack of a marking or label doesn't necessarily mean that your piece is not a Venini. However, there are many convincing replicas of Venini glassware. As a result, experts recommend consulting a certified appraiser or experienced antique dealer for assistance with the identification process, especially if you can't locate a label or acid mark. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Venini glass.

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