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Barovier & Toso Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Italian

Partnerships come and go within the community of glass-making artisans on the Venetian island of Murano, where business relationships seem as complex as the shifting alliances in the notoriously acrimonious Italian parliament. Formed in 1942 by members of families with centuries of experience in the craft, Barovier&Toso has proven to be one of the most enduring and prosperous Italian glass manufactories of recent decades. Under the nearly 50-year artistic directorship of cofounder Ercole Barovier (1889–1974), the company created buoyant traditional pieces such as chandeliers, sconces and other lighting fixtures, and it pioneered an array of innovative modernist glass designs with bold colors, patterns and surfaces.

The Barovier dynasty began in 1295, when Jacobello Barovier, mentioned in historical documents as a master glassblower, began pinching, cutting, blowing and twisting a molten mixture of sand and minerals into incandescent works of art. It remained entirely family-owned until the mid-20th century, when it merged with another glassworks to become Barovier&Toso.

To appeal to gentler, more conservative tastes, Barovier&Toso produced a range of lilting, sinuous lighting pieces that are often described as embodying “Liberty Style” — the Italian term for Art Nouveau, taken from the name of famed London department store Liberty & Co., which promoted 19th-century organic textile designs and Arts and Crafts-style furniture in the manner of William Morris. The hallmarks of the style in Barovier&Toso works are elements of glass in the shape of thick leaves, fronds and flower petals, deployed along with other naturalistic ornament in sconces, pendants and chandeliers.

Ercole Barovier began his personal aesthetic transition toward modernism in the 1930s with his Primavera series of vases and animal sculptures — idiosyncratic milky-white and clear glass filled with tiny bubbles and hairline interior fissures that he produced for Artisti Barovier, a firm headed by his father and uncle. Later, with Barovier&Toso, he would explore such novel styles as the mosaic-like Pezzato glass; fluid Spiral patterns; the pebbly textured Barbarico line and the complex, layered and highly colored abstractions of the Oriente series of vases and bowls.

Traditional or modern, Barovier&Toso — still under family control — has produced one of the finest and most diverse catalogues of Murano glass in the last 100 years.

Find antique Barovier&Toso chandeliers, serveware, decorative objects and more on 1stDibs.

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Period: 1930s
Creator: Barovier&Toso
Barovier & Toso Centrepiece Epergne and Candlesticks Opal Crystal with Gold Leaf
By Barovier&Toso
Located in Great Barrington, MA
This is an exceptional and rare centerpiece made by Barovier and Toso, circa 1930s-1940s. What sets this apart is the versatility and adjustability of the arrangement, allowing for many configurations and shapes. Starting with the hand blown oval shaped centre bowl, the opal glass is filled with gold leaf inclusions making it sparkle without being glitzy. The four gold leaf infused arms sit at the base, which is affixed with a threaded finial. The arms can be spread out either at right angles or maintain an oval shape. One can either use all four arms as candlesticks while placing the bobeches atop the candle cups or placing the four bowls which fit into the candle cups. And one can also use two of each, for a versatile arrangement. Please see all the images to view the myriad possibilities. This clean design works well with many decorative styles and the flexibility is inspiring. Bobeches measure 4.25" D x 1.25" H Epergne Bowls...
Category

1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Barovier & Toso Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Crystal

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Barovier & Toso Italian Red Murano Glass Vase With Gold Decorations
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We kindly suggest that you read the entire description, as with it we try to give you detailed technical and historical information to guarantee the authenticity of our objects. Sedu...
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Barovier & Toso Glass Lamp With Original Paper Label
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A midcentury Murano Venetian glass lamp by Barovier & Toso. Clear hand blown glass with real gold leaf inclusions. Original paper label. 15" to...
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Ercole Barovier - Ferro Toso Barovier Bowl ca. 1936
By Ercole Barovier, Barovier&Toso
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Ercole Barovier - Ferro Toso Barovier Bowl ca. 1936 A nice glass bowl manufactured by Ferro Toso Barovier ca. 1936, Murano Italy. Honey yellow glass with gold foil inclusion and a o...
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Early 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Barovier & Toso Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

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Barovier & Toso Attributed, Decorative Murano Bowl with Gold Rope Cordonato Oro
By Barovier&Toso
Located in Verviers, BE
A Classic example of 'cordonato oro' (gold rope) technique with lobed and ribbed sections creating the main vessel and pulled at opposite ends to make a ...
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1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Barovier & Toso Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

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Pair of Murano Glass Cornucopia by Barovier and Toso
By Barovier&Toso
Located in New York, NY
Wonderful pair of gold inclusion art glass cornucopias by Barovier and Toso, Murano, Italy, circa 1950s. Both show some loss (chips to fruit etc) and one is missing a leaf pedal, as ...
Category

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Barovier & Toso Murano Glass Clam Shell Bowl
By Barovier&Toso
Located in San Francisco, CA
Large Barovier & Toso clam shell form bowl, Murano Italy. Impressive large scale and heavy gold infused glass clam shell.
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1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Barovier & Toso Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

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Art Glass

Ercole Barovier, Barovier & Toso Efeso Vase ca. 1960s
By Ercole Barovier, Barovier&Toso
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Ercole Barovier - Barovier & Toso Efeso vase ca. 1960s A great blue vase from the 'efeso' series designed by Ercole Barovier in 1964 for Barovier & Toso, M...
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Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Barovier & Toso Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

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Barovier & Toso Decorative Murano Candelestick with Gold Rope Cordonato Oro
By Barovier&Toso
Located in Verviers, BE
Barovier & Toso Decorative Murano Candelestick with Gold Rope Cordonato Oro. A Classic example of 'cordonato oro' (gold rope) technique with lobed and...
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1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Barovier & Toso Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Murano Glass

Vintage Barovier e Toso Murano Turquoise Glass Vessel Bottle With Gold Droplets
By Barovier&Toso
Located in North Miami, FL
This gorgeous vintage Murano glass bottle, vessel or object is the most spectacular turquoise color which is most desirable and harder to come by. it is by the masters of glass Barov...
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1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Barovier & Toso Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

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Blown Glass

Barovier et Toso Murano Glass Dish
By Barovier&Toso
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This large scale, violet colored Murano glass dish dates to the 1980s and was created by Barovier et Toso. Note: The piece retains its origianl ma...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Modern Barovier & Toso Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

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Barovier et Toso Murano Glass Dish
Barovier et Toso Murano Glass Dish
H 2.5 in W 24 in D 25 in
Art Deco Uranium Glass Figural Comport Centrepiece, C1930
Located in Devon, England
This is without doubt one of our all time favourite Art Deco comports. Originating from Czech republic and made by Karl Palda this comport packs two punches, not only visually with i...
Category

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Materials

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Ercole Barovier for Barovier and Toso Murano Glass Striato Vase Signed
By Barovier&Toso
Located in Ann Arbor, MI
Ercole Barovier for Barovier and Toso Murano Glass Striato Vase Signed Barovier and Toso. Amazing control and detail on clear foot. Notice the subtle applied gold leaf.
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Barovier & Toso Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

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Previously Available Items
1930s Barovier & Toso Twisted Murano Glass Italian Design Picture Frame
By Barovier&Toso
Located in Brescia, IT
Twisted glass Brass details Perfect condiction.
Category

1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Barovier & Toso Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Murano Glass

Murano Barovier e Toso Glass Lamps
By Barovier&Toso
Located in North Miami, FL
These very early, rare and gorgeous Italian Murano lamps by Barovier e Toso have tons of gold aventurine interspersed with the bullecante. (bubbles) The fish are beautiful in their r...
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1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Barovier & Toso Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

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Brass, Gold Leaf

Barovier&toso serveware, ceramics, silver and glass for sale on 1stDibs.

Barovier&Toso serveware, ceramics, silver and glass 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 Barovier&Toso serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, although gold editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original serveware, ceramics, silver and glass by Barovier&Toso were created in the mid-century modern style in italy during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider serveware, ceramics, silver and glass by Archimede Seguso, Flavio Poli, and Ercole Barovier. Prices for Barovier&Toso serveware, ceramics, silver and glass can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $175 and can go as high as $17,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,449.

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