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Venini

Italian

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.

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Creator: Venini
Dealer: Venfield
Willy Rizzo for BD Lumica Glass Teardrop and Brass Pendant 1970's
By Gaetano Sciolari, Venini
Located in New York, NY
Exceptional Murano glass pendant with Venini tear drops and brass frame by Willy Rizzo for BD Lumica, Italy 1970's. A remarkable chandelier with hand-blown glass and cubist frame. M...
Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Venini

Materials

Brass

Monumental Venini Tiered Clear and Amber Tronchi Glass Chandelier
By Venini
Located in New York, NY
Monumental Venini tiered clear and amber Tronchi glass chandelier. Few glass pieces have minor chips or cracks. There are 20 sockets total.
Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Venini

Materials

Metal

Vintage Venini Glass Sconce
By Venini
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Venini glass sconce. The glass is in perfect condition. The frame shows some wear that is consistent its age and use. 1 availabl...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Venini

Materials

Metal

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Previously Available Items
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Vintage Venini Esprit Flush Mount
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By Venini
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1970's Vintage Venini Chandelier with Clear and Smoked Glass
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Venini furniture for sale on 1stDibs

Venini furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive objects are often made of glass and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options in our Venini collection of furniture, although beige editions of this piece are particularly popular. In stock, we have 958 vintage editions of these items, while there are 481 modern editions to choose from as well. Many original furniture by Venini was created in Europe during the 20th century in the modern style. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Barovier & Toso, Gaetano Sciolari and Stilnovo. The prices for Venini furniture can vary depending upon size, time period and other attributes. 1stDibs's price starts at $115 and tops out at $266,000, while pieces like these can sell for $3,203 on average.

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