Carlo Scarpa was born in Venice in 1906 and became one of the leading figures of architecture and international design during the 20th century. At merely 21 years old — and still a student at the Academy of Fine Arts — Scarpa began working as a designer for master Murano glassmaker M.V.M. Cappellin. Within a few years, he completely revolutionized the approach to art glass.
In a short time, under the guidance of Scarpa, the Capellin furnace not only established itself as the top glass company, but above all it introduced modernity and international fame to Murano glassmaking. Scarpa created a personal style of glassmaking, a new vision that irreversibly changed glass production.
The young Scarpa experimented with new models and colors: his chromatic combinations, impeccable execution and geometric shapes became his modus operandi. Thanks to Scarpa’s continuous research on vitreous matter, Cappellin produced a series of high-quality glass objects, that saw the company revisiting ancient processing techniques such as the watermark and Phoenician decoration.
When he encountered the challenge of opaque glass, Scarpa proposed introducing textures of considerable chromatic impact, such as glass pastes and glazed glass with bright colors. Scarpa also collaborated in the renovation of Palazzo da Mula in Murano, the home of Cappellin. At the academy, he obtained the diploma of professor of architectural design and obtained an honorary degree from the Venice University Institute of Architecture of which he was director.
In 1931, Scarpa's collaboration with Cappellin ended, following the bankruptcy of the company because it was not able to withstand the economic crisis linked to the Great Depression. But Scarpa did not go unnoticed by Paolo Venini — in 1933, the young designer became the new artistic director of the biggest glass company in Murano.
Master glassmakers thought Scarpa's projects and sketches were impossible, but the passionate and curious designer always managed to get exactly what he wanted. Until 1947 he remained at the helm of Venini & Co., where he created some of the best known masterpieces of modern glassmaking. Scarpa’s work with Venini was characterized by the continuous research on the subject, the use of color and techniques that he revisited in a very personal way, and the development of new ways of working with master glassmakers.
At the beginning of the 1930s, "bubble", "half filigree" and "submerged" glass appeared for the first time on the occasion of the Venice Biennale of 1934. A few years later, at the Biennale and the VI Triennale of Milan, Venini exhibited its lattimi and murrine romane pieces, which were born from a joint idea between Scarpa and Paolo Venini.
In 1938 Scarpa increased production, diversifying the vases from "objects of use" to sculptural works of art. In the same year he laid the foundation for the famous "woven" glass collection, exhibited the following year. In the subsequent years, Scarpa–Venini continued to exhibit at the Biennale and in various other shows their the "black and red lacquers," the granulari and the incisi, produced in limited series, and the "Chinese," which was inspired by Asian porcelain.
Scarpa's creations for Venini garnered an international response and were a great success, leaving forever an indelible mark on the history of glassmaking. The last Biennale in which Carlo Scarpa participated as artistic director of Venini was in 1942. He left the company five years later.
The time that Scarpa spent in the most important glass factory in Murano would attach a great artistic legacy to the company. His techniques and styles were resumed in the postwar period under the guidance of Tobia Venini, Paolo's son. In the 1950s, after the departure of Scarpa, Fulvio Bianconi was the new visionary at the Biennials with Venini.
On 1stDibs, vintage Carlo Scarpa glass and lighting are for sale, including decorative objects, tables, chandeliers and more.
(Biography provided by Ophir Gallery Inc.)
Venini Murrine Romane Multicolor Bowl by Carlo Scarpa
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Murrine Romane bowl in multicolor by Carlo Scarpa. Numbered Edition. These Murrine are called “roman” due to their graphic signs and because they...
Glass
Carlo Scarpa Venini glass vase Battuto 1940s Italy cobalt blue acid signed
By Carlo Scarpa
Located in Bridgehampton, NY
RARE Carlo Scarpa for Venini, Murano glass vase. UNUSUAL cobalt blue color glass with overall fine batutto engraved finish. Signed with early acid etch "Venini/ Murano/ Made in/ Ita...
Art Glass
$9,231Sale Price|20% Off
Vittorio Zecchin 'Incamiciato' vase, ca. 1930 from the sample room Pauly
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
Located in Zurich, CH
Vittorio Zecchin, 'Incamiciato' vase, ca. 1930 from the sample room Pauly Early vase for Venini. Thin walled purple clear glass sphere shape with disc base. Height about 22 cm and di...
Murano Glass
$12,058Sale Price|20% Off
Carlo Scarpa for Venini 1930, signed
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in Zurich, CH
Carlo Scarpa for Venini 1930, signed „murano italia“ Transparent glass in red with a base and 2 side applications of glass paste with gold. Excellent Condition
Murano Glass
Set of glasses and carafes MVM Cappellin Carlo Scarpa
By MVM Cappelin, Carlo Scarpa
Located in NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, FR
Carlo Scarpa (1906–1978) for M.V.M. Cappelin Set of glasses and carafes in light pink blown glass with colored inlay at the base 4 champagne coupes 4 wine glasses 5 liqueur glasses...
Glass
$11,775Sale Price|20% Off
Carlo Scarpa, 'battuto-velato' vase, 1940
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
Located in Zurich, CH
Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978), large 'battuto-velato' vase, 1940 wheel-carved glass, battuto -velato surface produced by Venini & C., Murano, Italy 30 cm (height) signed with two-line aci...
Murano Glass
Venini Murrine Opache 488.13 Murano Glass Centerpiece Carlo Scarpa - Damiani
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in Alcamo, IT
Brand: Venini Designer: Carlo Scarpa Model: Opaque Murrine 488.13 Collection: Murrine Made in: Italy Add an artistic and sophisticated touch to your interior with this unique Murano...
Glass
Venini Murrine Opache 488.10 Murano Glass Centerpiece Carlo Scarpa - Damiani
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in Alcamo, IT
Brand: Venini Designer: Carlo Scarpa Model: Opaque Murrine 488.10 Collection: Murrine Made in: Italy Add an artistic and sophisticated touch to your interior with this unique Murano...
Glass
Venini Murrine Opache 488.11 Murano Glass Centerpiece table Carlo Scarpa Damiani
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in Alcamo, IT
Brand: Venini Designer: Carlo Scarpa Model: Opaque Murrine 488.11 Collection: Murrine Made in: Italy Add an artistic and sophisticated touch to your interior with this unique Murano...
Glass
Venini Battuto Bicolor 785.00 Verdognolo/Rosso Glass Vase Carlo Scarpa Damiani
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in Alcamo, IT
Brand: Venini Design: Carlo Scarpa Model: Wrought Two-Tone 785.00 Collection: Two-tone wrought Made in: Italy Add an artistic touch to your home with this unique Murano glass object...
Glass
Venini Wrought Honeycomb 524.26 Lilac Murano Glass Vase Carlo Scarpa Damiani
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
Located in Alcamo, IT
Brand: Venini Design: Carlo Scarpa Model: Honeycomb Wrought 524.26 Collection: Honeycomb Wrought Made in: Italy Add an artistic touch to your home with this iconic Murano glass vase...
Glass
Venini Wrought Honeycomb 524.26 Orizz. Murano Glass Vase Carlo Scarpa Damiani
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
Located in Alcamo, IT
Brand: Venini Design: Carlo Scarpa Model: Honeycomb Wrought 524.26 Collection: Honeycomb Wrought Made in: Italy Add an artistic touch to your home with this iconic Murano glass vase...
Glass
Venini Battuto a Nido d'Ape 524.26 Pg. Murano Glass Vase Carlo Scarpa - Damiani
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
Located in Alcamo, IT
Brand: Venini Design: Carlo Scarpa Model: Honeycomb Wrought 524.26 Collection: Honeycomb Wrought Made in: Italy Add an artistic touch to your home with this iconic Murano glass vase...
Glass
Venini Battuto a Nido d'Ape 524.26 Pesca Murano Glass Vase Carlo Scarpa /Damiani
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
Located in Alcamo, IT
Brand: Venini Design: Carlo Scarpa Model: Honeycomb Wrought 524.26 Collection: Honeycomb Wrought Made in: Italy Add an artistic touch to your home with this iconic Murano glass vase...
Glass
$14,601Sale Price|20% Off
Carlo Scarpa, 'A Puntini' vase, 1942
By Carlo Scarpa
Located in Zurich, CH
Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978), 'A Puntini' vase, 1942 15 x 15 cm signed with two-line acid stamp 'venini murano' Excellent condition LITERATURE different examples of the series reference...
Murano Glass
$26,376Sale Price|20% Off
Carlo Scarpa "bianchi aurati" for Venini 1934
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in Zurich, CH
CARLO SCARPA (1906-1978) A RARE 'LATTIMO AURATO' VASE, CIRCA 1934 produced by Venini, hand-blown glass with gold foil inclusions 20 cm. high. 2 line acid stamp. Unfortunately the si...
Murano Glass
$6,405Sale Price|20% Off
Carlo Scarpa, bowl model 'Battuto', 1940-42
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
Located in Zurich, CH
Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978), bowl model 'Battuto', 1940-42 hand-blown glass, battuto surface produced by Venini & C., Murano, Italy 16 x 10 x 10 cm signed with four-line acid stamp to ...
Murano Glass
21st Century Murrine Opache Bowl in Black/Coral by Carlo Scarpa
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Countless Black and Coral pieces are woven together to form a symmetric yet imperfect pattern on slanted surfaces. VENINI’s glass grinding technique creates a typical shading effect ...
Glass
21st Century Battuto A Nido D'ape Vase in Horizon by Carlo Scarpa
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Inspired by nature and designed by Carlo Scarpa, it turns into Battuto a Nido D'Ape only in the hands of master glassmakers, who skilfully shape glass into a honeycomb pattern using ...
Glass
21st Century Serpente Glass Sculpture in Black/Coral by Carlo Scarpa
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in murano, IT
Ancient murrine form the pattern of a snake coiling up on glass. Conceived, redesigned and skilfully reinterpreted with rich contrasting colours, they reflect the highest craftsmansh...
Glass
$4,050Sale Price|20% Off
Venini Murano filigree art glass vase, signed and Labe
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
Located in Zurich, CH
Venini Murano filigree art glass vase. This hand-formed filigree vase in the ”a reticello” pattern features fine criss-crossed white lines forming a small web with bubble inclusions ...
Murano Glass
$13,942Sale Price|20% Off
"A puntini 1938“. Carlo Scarpa for Venini- special edition casino venice
By Carlo Scarpa
Located in Zurich, CH
"A puntini 1938“. Carlo Scarpa for Venini- special edition casino venice Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978), 'A Puntini' vase, 1937 produced by Venini & C., Murano, Italy 15 cm (height) signe...
Murano Glass
$3,040Sale Price|36% Off
Venini Carlo Scarpa Mezza Filigrana Bottle
By Carlo Scarpa
Located in Doraville, GA
A bottle designed by Carlo Scarpa for Venini in the mid 1930s. The bottle is a very faint blue green color and displays the mezza filigrana method of glass ...
Blown Glass
Collectable Vintage Carlo Scarpa Murano Murrine Millefiori, Glass Vase Amphora
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in Paris, France
Vintage small vase green, burgundy and white runoff inlay in a form of amphora, design Carlo Scarpa Fratelli Toso Murano Murrine Millefiori. Murrine...
Art Glass, Murano Glass
Carlo Scarpa, "Mezza Filigrana" Vase, 1934
By Carlo Scarpa
Located in Paris, FR
Carlo Scarpa 'Mezza Filigrana' Vase, c. 1934 Execution: Venini & C. Cased glass, white. Signed: Venini murano (acid stamp). Measure : H : 18 cm (...
Glass
21st Century Murrine Romane Glass Vase in Multicolour by Carlo Scarpa
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in murano, IT
In these murrineworks, purity of form and essential geometry blend together to create rare, precious and timeless objects, just like the art of ancient Rome. In his quest for new gla...
Glass
21st Century Battuto a Nido D'ape Vase in Straw-Yellow by Carlo Scarpa
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Inspired by nature and designed by Carlo Scarpa, it turns into Battuto a Nido D'Ape only in the hands of master glassmakers, who skilfully shape glass into a honeycomb pattern using ...
Glass
$20,000 / set
Pair of Venini Torqued Obelisks
By Carlo Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
Around 1930 Gio Ponti gave Paolo Venini some sketches for glass obelisks. Shortly thereafter Carlo Scarpa designed for Venini a torqued obelisk in transparent diamante glass -- so na...
Glass
21st Century Murrine Romane Glass Bowl in Multicolour by Carlo Scarpa
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
Located in murano, IT
In these murrineworks, purity of form and essential geometry blend together to create rare, precious and timeless objects, just like the art of ancient Rome. In his quest for new gla...
Glass