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.
Murano Art Glass Fish Sculpture designed by Ken Scott for Venini
By Ken Scott, Venini
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a very rare Murano art glass figurine of a blue fish with the black stripes. It was designed by Ken Scott for V...
Murano Glass
"N" "E" "O" "N" Crystal Letters by Massimo Vignelli for Venini, Italy, 1980s
By Massimo Vignelli, Venini
Located in Milan, IT
N, E, O, N crystal and colored capital letters by Massimo Vignelli for Venini. Complete display set for Neon collection.
Murano Glass
$13,265Sale Price|30% Off
Venini by Emmanuel Babled 2004 Women Torso Tall Vase in Cased Art Glass
By Emmanuel Babled, Venini
Located in Miami, FL
Art glass vase designed by Emmanuel Babled (1967-) for Venini. An extremely rare artistic vase, created in the island of Murano by the sculptor Emmanuel Babled, back in the 2004. This sculptural tall vase is part of a limited edition of only 9 piece made by the Venini company from Venice. It is made in the shape of a sublime woman torso, blown in 3 colors of cased glass and finished with a delicate wheel carving. Technique: Blown art glass, triple cased, etched and carved at the wheel. Measures: 450.85 by 196.85 mm (17.75 by 7.75 Inches) Edition: Number 4 of 9. Signatures: Etched at the bottom, "Venini 2004 4/9 EMM. BABLED". with the original Venini decal label. Emmanuel Babled was born in France in 1967. He studied Industrial Design at Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, graduating in 1989 and founding his own design studio in 1992. In 2010 Emmanuel Babled Studio moved to Amsterdam after many years in Milan. Since the start, he has developed a wide range of unique pieces and limited editions in self-production and for prestigious manufacturers such as Venini, Baccarat, Rosenthal and Covo. These pieces are part of private and public collections around the world. At the same time he has also designed Industrial products, furniture and lighting. His clients include Baccarat, Rosenthal, Venini, Bulgari, Iittala, Dupont de Nemours, Fontana Arte, Oluce, I&I, Laurent Perrier...
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Venini Ando Time 032.98 Green/Aquamarine Glass Hourglass Tadao Ando - Damiani
By Tadao Ando, Venini
Located in Alcamo, IT
Brand: Venini Designer: Tadao Ando Model: Ando Time 032.98 Collection: Tadao Ando Collection Made in: Italy Add an artistic and sophisticated touch to your interior with this unique...
Glass
Venini Ando Time 032.98 Crystal/Red/Grape Glass Hourglass Tadao Ando Damiani
By Tadao Ando, Venini
Located in Alcamo, IT
Brand: Venini Designer: Tadao Ando Model: Ando Time 032.98 Collection: Tadao Ando Collection Made in: Italy Add an artistic and sophisticated touch to your interior with this unique...
Glass
Venini Ando Time 032.98 Rosato/Violet/Amber Glass Hourglass Tadao Ando - Damiani
By Tadao Ando, Venini
Located in Alcamo, IT
Brand: Venini Designer: Tadao Ando Model: Ando Time 032.98 Collection: Tadao Ando Collection Made in: Italy Add an artistic and sophisticated touch to your interior with this unique...
Glass
Venini Murrine Opache 488.13 Murano Glass Centerpiece Carlo Scarpa - Damiani
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
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
21st Century Anatra Sculpture in Multicolour by Toni Zuccheri
By Toni Zuccheri, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Exuberant and lively, the duck gazes at the viewers and catches their attention, almost inviting them to stare back: it is so beautiful they can’t look away. If only Toni Zuccheri’s ...
Crystal
21st Century Fischione Sculpture in Black by Toni Zuccheri
By Toni Zuccheri, Venini
Located in murano, IT
The male has darker feathers, while the female features bright accents of colour, but they both have a skilfully ground black head. The two wigeon specimens designed by Toni Zuccheri...
Glass
21st Century, Quattro Stagioni Inverno Sculpture in Crystal/Light Blue/Milk-White
By Laura de Santillana, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Winter impressed in glass by Laura De Santillana. Murrina glass in hues of bluino and milk white brings to mind the coldest season of the year. As the first snowflakes start to fall,...
Glass
21st Century Giotto Sculpture in Black/Multicolour by Alessandro Mendini
By Venini, Alessandro Mendini
Located in murano, IT
An austere face, halfway between ancient and modern, strong and fragile. Giotto by Alessandro Mendini is a winged lord who is destined to hold our gaze. A psychic being whose narrow ...
Glass
$19,186 / item
21st Century Circo Di Lune Sculpture in Multicolor
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
One after the other, alternating spheres run along metal wires, arranged in order of size and colour. This unique piece by Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin reflects the delicate balance...
Glass
21st Century Pavoncella Sculpture in Multicolour by Toni Zuccheri
By Toni Zuccheri, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Mother Nature gave it a striped appearance with hints of brown, black, white and green. A crest playfully sticks up on its head. For his bestiary, Toni Zuccheri captured its restless...
Blown Glass
21st Century Anatra Sculpture in Black/Crystal by Toni Zuccheri
By Toni Zuccheri, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Exuberant and lively, the duck gazes at the viewers and catches their attention, almost inviting them to stare back: it is so beautiful they can’t look away. If only Toni Zuccheri’s ...
Crystal
Soldato Di Vetro Glass and 18k Gold Sculpture by Alessandro Mendini for Venini
By Alessandro Mendini, Venini
Located in murano, IT
"The fine, elongated and ambiguos shape of their eyes on the colored background has them looking thoughtfully at our complicated world. The similar shape of their mounth hints at a w...
Gold
21st Century Quattro Stagioni Autunno in Straw-Yellow/Tea by Laura De Santillana
By Laura de Santillana, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Fall impressed in glass by Laura De Santillana. Murrina glass in hues of Tea and Straw Yellow brings to mind the season that comes before winter. Leaves are tinged with yellow, as fo...
Glass
Simbiosi Wood Glass and Wood Unique Piece by Emmanuel Babled for Venini
By Emmanuel Babled, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Sculpture in clear, opaque pink, straw yellow and bamboo colored glass with gold leaf resting on ebony wood. The process involved begins with the realization of the glass. The hand ...
Blown Glass, Ebony
OSMOSI Artist Proof Glass and Marble Sculpture by Emmanuel Babled for Venini
By Emmanuel Babled, Venini
Located in murano, IT
The work is part of the Osmosis series, exhibited at Palazzo Franchetti, in conjunction with the 55 th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale. The project combines new t...
Carrara Marble