Murano Glass and Varnished Metal Pendant by Toni Zuccheri for Venini, Italy
About the Item
- Creator:Toni Zuccheri (Designer),Venini (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 27.56 in (70 cm)Diameter: 13.78 in (35 cm)
- Power Source:Hardwired
- Lampshade:Included
- Style:Post-Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1975-1979
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Bresso, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2293323951282
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 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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Bresso, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Murano Glass and Varnished Metal 3-Light Pendant by Toni Zuccheri for VeniniBy Toni Zuccheri, VeniniLocated in Bresso, LombardyMade in Italy, 1970s. This 3-light Membrana pendant features Murano glass shades and a steel structure. It is a vintage piece, therefore it might show slight traces of use, but the g...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
- Postmodern Light Blue Murano Glass Mod "Membrana" Chandelier by Toni ZuccheriBy Toni ZuccheriLocated in Bresso, LombardyMade in Italy, 1970s. Made in chrome-plated metal and Murano glass. It is a vintage piece, therefore it might show slight traces of use, but it can be considered as in perfect origi...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
- Postmodern Murano Glass Teardrop Chandelier in the Style of Venini, ItalyBy VeniniLocated in Bresso, LombardyMade in Italy, 1970s. This chandelier features a brass frame with three arms and 28 Murano glass drops. It is vintage, therefore it might show slight traces of use, but it can be con...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBrass
- Transparent and Blue Murano Glass Pendant by Carlo Nason for Mazzega, ItalyBy Mazzega, Carlo NasonLocated in Bresso, LombardyThis is a high quality item, made in Italy, in the 70s. The pendant features a white varnished metal frame and a spherical transparent and blue Murano glass shade. Nason is a well-...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
- Postmodern Orange Murano Glass and Brass Pendant by La Murrina, Italy, 1980sBy La MurrinaLocated in Bresso, LombardyMade in Italy, 1980s. This chandelier features an orange Murano glass lampshade with an onyx effect by La Murrina. The structure is made in brass and the wiring is compatible with ...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBrass
- Postmodern Industrial Plexiglass and Yellow Varnished Aluminum Pendant, ItalyLocated in Bresso, LombardyMade in Italy, 1970s. It is made in white plexiglass, yellow varnished aluminum and a steel wire. This pendant is a vintage piece, therefore it might show slight traces of use, but i...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Industrial Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsSteel, Aluminum
- Murano Glass Chandelier by Toni Zuccheri for VeniniBy Toni Zuccheri, VeniniLocated in Houston, TXMurano glass chandelier by Toni Zuccheri For Venini. Our unusual vintage Italian chandelier, pendant or lantern is comprised of...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsChrome
- Murano glass chandelier Tronchi by Toni Zuccheri for Venini Italy 1970sBy Toni Zuccheri, VeniniLocated in Miklavž Pri Taboru, SIStep into the elegance of mid-century Italian design with this exquisite Murano glass chandelier, meticulously crafted in Italy during the 1960s by designer Toni Zuccheri for Venini ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMurano Glass
- 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
- Italian Murano Handmade Glass Chandelier by Toni Zuccheri for Venini, 1960sBy Toni Zuccheri, VeniniLocated 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
- Murano glass chandelier Tronchi by Toni Zuccheri for Venini Italy 1960sBy Toni Zuccheri, VeniniLocated 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
- Vintage Murano glass chandelier, Toni Zuccheri for Venini, Italy 1960sBy Toni Zuccheri, VeniniLocated 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