Italian Mid-Century Murano Ball Glass Pendant Lamp by Toni Zuccheri, 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:Venini (Fashion House),Toni Zuccheri (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 39.38 in (100 cm)Diameter: 11.82 in (30 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960
- Condition:Refinished. Repaired. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Traversetolo, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2964323176672
Toni Zuccheri
Italian glassmaker and master Murano craftsman Toni Zuccheri’s lifelong passion for nature and animals contributed to the development of some of the finest modernist works in Murano glass history. His mid-century-era chandeliers, wall sconces, table lamps and vases showcase his penchant for experimentation and exceptional skill in color and form.
Zuccheri was born in 1936 in San Vito al Tagliamento. His father was Luigi Zuccheri (1904–74), a renowned painter known for his depictions of animals (and friend of artist Giorgio De Chirico). Toni not only inherited his father’s love of the animal kingdom — particularly birds — but also his artistic talents, demonstrating an intuitive skill for drawing at an early age.
In 1945, the Zuccheri family moved to Venice. At the city’s University Institute of Architecture, Toni studied under esteemed Italian architects Franco Albini, Ignazio Gardella and Carlo Scarpa.
During the early 1960s, Zuccheri focused on the art of glassmaking and collaborated with Venini. While working with the celebrated Italian Murano glass factory, he developed an innovative type of thick window glass sheets called Vetrate Grosse with prolific Italian architect and furniture designer Gio Ponti. The glass was made of dense, vitreous pastes mixed with murrine, raw pigment, shards of filigrana cane and fine wire mesh.
Zuccheri exhibited a group of elaborate bird and farm animal sculptures at the 1964 Venice Biennale. The birds, which were accented with gold leaf, included vibrantly hued guinea fowl-shaped works with murrine bodies, turkeys, owls and hoopoes (colorful birds known for their crown of feathers). Zuccheri employed an ingenious glass layering technique to create the birds’ feathers, while their realistic-looking legs and feet were made of bronze.
Throughout his career, Zuccheri’s love of birds and animals was a recurring theme in many of his glassworks, which he created for Venini and other Italian Murano glass manufacturers such as VeArt and Barovier & Toso. Today, his work lives on in galleries and private collections worldwide.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Toni Zuccheri lighting, decorative objects and serveware.
Venini
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 in the centuries-old glass workshops on the Venetian island of Murano. While the company’s 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 Giò Ponti, Massimo Vignelli, Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala, Thomas Stearnsof 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 took over the company as his own in 1925, and under his direction it produced mainly classical Baroque designs. In 1932, he 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 century — Venini has produced one of the truly great bodies of work in modern design.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Traversetolo, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Italian Midcentury Murano Glass Chandelier, Venini "Tronchi" by Toni ZuccheriBy Venini, Toni ZuccheriLocated in Traversetolo, ITToni Zuccheri's design for Venini's chandelier in the late 1960s is truly remarkable. The combination of Murano glass, brass, and chromed steel creates a stunning visual effect that ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Italian Mid-Century Modern Murano Ball Glass Pendant Lamp, Blue Wire, 1970sLocated in Traversetolo, ITParticular Italian Mid-Century Modern blown Murano glass, ball shape pendant lamp with the blue and yellow wire print, from the 1970s. The pendant is made ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Italian Mid-Century Murano Glass Pendant Lamp Per Mazzega, 1970sBy MezzagaLocated in Traversetolo, ITCharming Italian mid-century Murano glass pendant or hanging lamp per Mazzega fashion house, from the 1970s. Blown Murano glass in amber clear color with chromium steel structure. Th...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsSteel
- Italian Mid-Century Pendant Lamp, Azucena Style, 1960By AzucenaLocated in Traversetolo, ITAn Italian mid-century pendant lamp, Azucena style, with brass and satin glass, two light E14 formats. It has a great executive quality in the brass parts and a fantastic contrast be...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBrass
- Italian Mid-Century Modern Double Disc Decorated Glass Pendant Lamp, 1950sLocated in Traversetolo, ITBeautiful Italian Mid-Century Modern double disc pendant lamp in the aquamarine shade color, 1950. Polished brass structure, two lights, frosted glass, and aquamarine shade color. Th...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBrass
- Italian Mid-Century Blown Glass Pendant Lamp Attributed to Stilnovo, 1950sBy StilnovoLocated in Traversetolo, ITItalian Mid-Century Modern pendant lamp attributed to Stilnovo fashion house, from 1950. This pendant lamp is made from blown and serigraph glass with a shiny aluminium structure. Th...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsAluminum
- Toni Zuccheri Membrana Ceiling Lamp in Murano Glass by Venini 1960s ItalyBy Venini, Toni ZuccheriLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITCeiling or Hanging lamp from the 'Membrane' series, designed by Toni Zuccheri and created between 1966 and 1968 by the famous Italian company Venini. The lamp presents a round sha...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
- Murano glass chandelier Tronchi by Toni Zuccheri for Venini Italy 1960sBy Toni Zuccheri, VeniniLocated in Miklavž Pri Taboru, SIIlluminate your space with the enduring elegance of this Murano glass chandelier, a creation from the 1960s designed by Toni Zuccheri for Venini & Co., a prominent player in the revi...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMurano Glass
- Murano glass chandelier Tronchi by Toni Zuccheri for Venini Italy 1960sBy Venini, Toni ZuccheriLocated in Miklavž Pri Taboru, SIIlluminate your space with the timeless elegance of this Murano glass chandelier, a masterpiece crafted in Italy during the 1960s by the renowned designer Toni Zuccheri for Venini & ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMurano Glass
- Italian Murano Handmade Glass Chandelier by Toni Zuccheri for Venini, 1960sBy Venini, Toni ZuccheriLocated in Varese, LombardiaThis rare chandelier was produced in Italy by the famous glassworks Venini, circa 1960s. It is made from 51 handmade pieces of transparent glass hung on the painted metal structure. ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsNickel, Metal
- Vintage Murano glass chandelier, Toni Zuccheri for Venini, Italy 1960sBy Venini, Toni ZuccheriLocated in Ceglie Messapica, ITVintage Murano chandelier designed by Toni Zuccheri and manufactured in Venice, Italy in the 1960s. Corteccia model. The chandelier is made of 38 murano glasses and a iron multilev...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMurano Glass
- Murano Chandelier "Tronchi" Venini Toni Zuccheri Attributed, 1960s ItalyBy Venini, Toni ZuccheriLocated in Grand Cayman, KYElegant and timeless 1960s Italian Glass chandelier "Tronchi", attributed to Toni Zuccheri for the esteemed Murano house of Venini. This gorgeous Tronchi variant features 22 individ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal, Brass