While Venini & Co.'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.
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.
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 Paolo Venini chandeliers, serveware, table lamps, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Venini Art Glass Bowl 'Diamante' by Paolo Venini, Murano 1930s
By Venini, Paolo Venini
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Venini Art Glass Bowl 'Diamante' by Paolo Venini, Murano 1930s A rare Venini art glass bowl of the 'Diamante' series. Heavy transparent glass with a ...
Art Glass, Murano Glass
"Cane" Stopper Bottle by Paolo Venini
By Paolo Venini, Venini
Located in New York, NY
Blown glass bottle form created with canes of blue & green colors.
Blown Glass
Venini Art Glass Bottle with Fasce Decoration in Yellow, Murano 1950s
By Paolo Venini, Venini
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Venini art glass bottle with Fasce decoration in yellow, Murano 1950s A large art glass bottle in white opaque glass with yellow stopper and a yellow "a fascia" band on the body as ...
Art Glass, Murano Glass
$731Sale Price|25% Off
Venini Bianconi Murano White Purple Zanfirico Italian Art Glass Fazzoletto Vase
By Paolo Venini, Fulvio Bianconi, Venini
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage murano hand blown white and purple ribbons Italian art glass fazzoletto / handkerchief vase. Documented to designer Fulvio Bianconi, and signed "Venini Murano Itali...
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Glass
Venini Art Glass Vase with Inciso Decoration Paolo Venini, Murano 1956
By Venini, Paolo Venini
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Venini Art Glass vase with Inciso Decoration Paolo Venini, Murano 1956 A vintage art glass vase in erba pesante (grass green) glass with layered...
Art Glass, Murano Glass
Gio Ponti for Venini Morandiane Murano Glass Bottle with Stopper, Signed
By Paolo Venini, Gio Ponti
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking Gio Ponti and Paolo Venini for Venini tall “A Canne” striped bottle or decanter with matching stopper. 18” tall. Created in the Venini workshop in Murano Italy, an island ...
Glass, Blown Glass
Paolo Venini Inciso Glass Bottle Manufactured by Venini 1990s
By Paolo Venini, Venini
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Paolo Venini Inciso Glass Bottle Manufactured by Venini 1990s A vintage "Inciso" glass bottle designed by Paolo Venini in 1956 and manufactured by...
Art Glass, Murano Glass
$600Sale Price / set|33% Off
Venini Murano Signed Teal Green Blue Italian Art Glass Teardrop Ring Dishes
By Paolo Venini, Venini
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage set of 3 Murano hand blown teal green or blue Italian art glass small bowls or dishes. Documented to the Venini company, with 1 of them signed underneath. Would mak...
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso, Glass
Venini Murano Italy Glass Blue Bottle Serie “Velati”, 1992
By Paolo Venini, Venini
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Amazing and fabulous Italian handmade and blown bottle in light blue color glass with stopper, from the “Velati” series designed and produced by Ven...
Glass
Large Vase of the 'Pesanti' Series, Paolo Venini for Venini, Murano 1952
By Paolo Venini, Venini
Located in Berghuelen, DE
A large vase in thick amethyst glass with circular decoration on the neck. Designed by Paolo Venini in 1952, manufactured by Venini, Murano Venezia. Model number 1522. Acid stamp "ve...
Art Glass, Murano Glass
"Cinese" Large Italian Art Glass Vase by Paolo Venini
By Paolo Venini
Located in New York, NY
"Cinese" large Italian art glass vase by Paolo Venini. Cased glass in clear, white and gray. Signed: Venini Italia 84.
Murano Glass
20th Century Italian Vase by Paolo Venini
By Paolo Venini, Venini
Located in Roma, IT
Very rare vase designed by Paolo Venini in cased glass, white and glossy, a must for Murano glass collectors. The item also displays a circular trademark "Venini Murano, Italy". Th...
Glass
Venini Incisi Thin Glass Vase in Marine Blue by Paolo Venini
By Venini, Paolo Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Incisi glass vase collection, designed by Paolo Venini and manufactured by Venini, feature an engraved surface. Originally designed in 1956. Numb...
Glass
Riccio model vase, Venini production, Designer Gae Aulenti
By Paolo Venini, Gae Aulenti
Located in Busnago, IT
Some objects rely on contrast rather than complexity. The 'Riccio' vase by Gae Aulenti for Venini, designed in 2006, exemplifies this approach—merging sculptural form with refined te...
Glass
Gio Ponti and Paolo Venini A Canne Morandiane Series Glass for Venini, 1955
By Paolo Venini, Gio Ponti
Located in Milan, IT
Large Gio Ponti and Paolo Venini A Canne Morandiane series murano glass for Venini, 1955 Signed with three-line acid stamp to underside 'Venini Murano ...
Murano Glass
Morandiana bottle in Venini and Gio Ponti glass for Iveco
By Paolo Venini, Gio Ponti
Located in Busnago, IT
This elegant and refined 1989 Murano glass bottle by Venini is inspired by the paintings of Giorgio Morandi. Conceived in 1956 by Adv. Paolo Venini was made with the collaboration of...
Glass
1950 Paolo Venini Olivetti Murano Glass Blue Paperweight
By Paolo Venini
Located in Brescia, IT
Olivetti Paperweight Paolo Venini Murano, 1950 "Inciso" Turquoise Glass Paperweight "Olivetti" Brand Grindstone Engraved Rare object produced for Olivetti Yellow Paper Box included ...
Murano Glass
Venini Incisi Short Glass Vase in Marine Blue by Paolo Venini
By Venini, Paolo Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Incisi glass vase collection, designed by Paolo Venini and manufactured by Venini, feature an engraved surface. Originally designed in 1956. Numbered edition per year, marine blue ve...
Glass
$4,875Sale Price|25% Off
Paolo Venini Murano Signed Blue Inciso Technique Italian Art Glass Flower Vase
By Paolo Venini, Venini
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown Sommerso blue and peachy color Italian art glass flower vase. Designed by Paolo Venini, circa 1955 for Venini e. Co. The vase has an elegant taper...
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso, Glass
Venini Murano Italy Glass Green Bottle Serie “Velati”, 1981
By Venini, Paolo Venini
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Amazing and fabulous Italian handmade and blown bottle in green color glass with stopper, from the “Velati” series designed and produced by Venini Murano in 1981. Original Venini Murano label...
Glass
Bottle Paolo Venini 1950 Blu Color Murano Art Glass Serie Inciso made in Italy
By Paolo Venini
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Rare Murano glass bottle, museum piece in cobalt blue, Inciso series.
Murano Glass
Large Venini Art Glass Vase with Inciso Decoration Paolo Venini, Murano 1956
By Venini, Paolo Venini
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Large Venini Art Glass vase with Inciso Decoration Paolo Venini, Murano 1956 A large vintage art glass vase in notte (night) blue pesante glass ...
Art Glass, Murano Glass
$2,164 / set
Venini Glass Murano Glass, 1940, Italy
By Paolo Venini
Located in Milano, IT
Glass Paolo Venini.
Murano Glass
Puntini Murrine Glass Bowl, Paolo Venini, Venini Murano Italia
By Venini, Paolo Venini
Located in Uccle, BE
Bowl in glass with “talpa” (mole grey) and “lattimo” (milk white) murrine. The name of this particular murrine is known as “a puntini” which means “dotted” in Italian. It’s in fac...
Blown Glass
$2,104Sale Price|50% Off
Gio Ponti Paolo Venini Murano Glass Bottle Morandiana Series 1982
By Gio Ponti, Paolo Venini
Located in Paris, IDF
Rare Gio Ponti and Paolo Venini bottle for Venini designed in the 1950s, “ A Canne” model from the Morandiana series. This example is a 1980s edition, signed Venini 82, with its orig...
Glass
Venini Incisi Short Glass Vase in Steel Blue by Paolo Venini
By Venini, Paolo Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Incisi glass vase collection, designed by Paolo Venini and manufactured by Venini, feature an engraved surface. Originally designed in 1956. Numb...
Glass
Pair of Hourglasses by Fulvio Bianconi for Venini
By Fulvio Bianconi, Venini, Paolo Venini
Located in Busnago, IT
Pair of Acquamarina and Grigio murano glass hourglasses by Paolo Venini & Fulvio Bianconi & Paolo Venini. A large one and a small one. Little grains of sand, impalpable and unnoticea...
Glass
Venini Blue Murano Glass Flacon, 1968
By Paolo Venini
Located in Munich, DE
Elegant Venini flacon designed by Paolo Venini in 1968. Blue casted glass with incised surface in battuto technique, engraved signature underside wit...
Murano Glass
$5,290Sale Price / set|20% Off
Paolo Venini, Pair of Vases, Venini Production Engraved Series, 1956-57
By Paolo Venini
Located in Milano, IT
Pair of Murano glass vases of different sizes, “Incisi” series, made to designs by Paolo Venini. Heavy violet and iron gray glass in superimposed colors, finished with light horizont...
Glass
Five Turqoise Opalino Bowls by Paolo Venini, Murano circa 1950
By Venini, Paolo Venini
Located in London, GB
Five small turquoise opaline hand blown bowls by Paolo Venini (1895-1959) circa 1950 for Venini, opaque glass, acid stamp to each 'Venini Murano Italia'. Dimensons; each height 1 1/...
Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Opaline Glass
Venini Zanfirico Flared Vase
By Paolo Venini
Located in London, England
This stunning flared vase showcases the intricate Venetian Zanfirico technique with elegance. Its delicately swirling patterns and meticulous craftsmanship make it a captivating piec...
Art Glass, Blown Glass