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.
21st Century Tolboi, Belboi, Stilboi Floor Lamp in Milk-White / Red by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Tall, slender and elegant, it’s Tolboi. Light passes through Milk White glass, spreading its soft yet strong glow, and revealing the tones of Red and Tea that enliven the core of its...
Glass
21st Century Carlo Scarpa 99.37 8-Light Chandeliers in Crystal
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in murano, IT
An innovative designer with a passion for experimentation, Carlo Scarpa turned this work into the utmost expression of his artistic and artisanal knowledge. The linearity of glass me...
Glass
Murano Blown Glass Contemporary Pendant Light Design by Peter Marino for Venini
By Peter Marino, Venini
Located in murano, IT
ROTONDO 893.50 Peter Marino’s work is notoriously provocative. The Rotondo, Cilindro, and Parallelo lamps are no exception: using the “Fasce” technique, the artist hot-works coloure...
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
$20,414 / item
21st Century Trilobi Chandeliers in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
They recall ice stalactites or pendant quartz formations unusually shaped in the form of long triangular strips of glass with rounded corners. All hud...
Glass
VENINI CHANDELIER Glass Metal Crome 1950 Italy
By Venini
Located in Milano, IT
Lampadario VENINI Filigrana 1950 Altezza solo della boccia di vetro 28cm..
Blown Glass
Italian mid-century modern glass chandelier Massimo Vignelli Venini, 1950s
By Massimo Vignelli, Venini
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern Murano glass chandelier by Massimo Vignelli for Venini, 1950s Round chandelier in white inside and gray outside Murano glass. Square black ceiling fitting....
Murano Glass
VENINI Table Lamp Brass Murano Glass Lampshade Fabric 1950s Italy
By Venini
Located in Milano, IT
VENINI table lamp
Murano Glass
Venini Chandelier Murano Glass Iron Metal Italy, 1930
By Venini
Located in Milano, IT
Venini Chandelier.
Murano Glass
Venini Toni Zuccheri Ceilling Light Sconces Murano Glass Brass Metal 1950 Italy
By Venini
Located in Milano, IT
Venini Toni Zuccheri ceilling light sconces Murano glass brass metal 1950 Italy.
Murano Glass
Venini Sconce Brass Murano Glass 1930 Italy
By Venini
Located in Milano, IT
Venini sconce.
Murano Glass
VENINI Carlo Scarpa Chandelier Murano Glass Metal Crome 1930 Italy
By Venini
Located in Milano, IT
Chandelier VENINI
Murano Glass
Venini Chandelier 8 Lights Murano Glass, 1940, Italy
By Venini
Located in Milano, IT
Venini chandelier 8 lights Murano glass 1940 Italy.
Murano Glass
Venini Table Lamps “Triptych“ Murano Glass Metal, 1965, Italy
By Venini
Located in Milano, IT
Venini table lamps “Triptych“ Murano glass metal, 1965, Italy.
Murano Glass
Venini “Toni Zuccheri “Sconces Murano Glass Brass, 1950, Italy
By Venini
Located in Milano, IT
Venini "Toni Zuccheri" sconces Murano glass brass, 1950, Italy.
Murano Glass
21st Century Diamantei Extra Large Chandeliers in Améthyste/Red by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Exquisitely Baroque in style, regal in appearance, and available in a variety of sizes and colors, it is the undisputed star of any setting. A series of alternating soft and sharp cu...
Glass
21st Century Porpora 9-Light Chandeliers in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Essential decorations and a sleek structure with simple arms and cups, for a minimalist design by VENINI. Born in 1924 yet timeless, it has stood the test of time. It is just as mode...
Glass
21st Century Diamantei Large Chandeliers in Améthyste/Red by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Exquisitely Baroque in style, regal in appearance, and available in a variety of sizes and colors, it is the undisputed star of any setting. A series of alternating soft and sharp cu...
Glass
21st Century Diamantei Extra Large Chandeliers in Gold Leaf Crystal/Crystal
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Exquisitely Baroque in style, regal in appearance, and available in a variety of sizes and colors, it is the undisputed star of any setting. A series of alternating soft and sharp cu...
Glass
Elegant Contemporary Suspended Murano Blown Glass Crystal Chandelier by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
963.12 Crystal color glass. Circular chandelier composed of handcrafted “Trilobi” modules in solid cristallo glass, hung from a chrome-plated structure suspended from steel cables. ...
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Stelle Filanti pendant lamp by Atelier Oi produced by Venini, 2013
By Venini, Atelier Oï 1
Located in Ravenna, IT
Stelle Filanti pendant lamp designed by Atelier Oi and produced by Venini in 2013 in Italy. The lamp features a glass diffuser, suspended by a weave of leather filaments that define ...
Leather, Murano Glass, Stained Glass
Murano Glass and Varnished Metal 3-Light Pendant by Toni Zuccheri for Venini
By Toni Zuccheri, Venini
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s. This 3-light Membrana pendant features Murano glass shades and a steel structure. It is a vintage piece, therefore it might show slight traces of use, but the g...
Metal
Vintage Italian Swirl Pendant by Venini
By Venini
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Italian pendant with frosted Murano glass globe with hand blown white Murano glass stripes, mounted on chrome hardware / Designed by Venini circa 1960s / Made in Italy 1 ligh...
Chrome
Important Large Chandelier Venini, Model Triedro, Murano, 1960
By Venini
Located in Asti, Piemonte
A beatiful and important chandelier with triedri element glass pendants (about 1000 pieces). Signed and stamped Venini in the metal structure.
Glass
21st Century Tolboi-Belboi-Stilboi Floor Lamp in Milk-White/Red by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Tall, slender and elegant, it’s Tolboi. Light passes through Milk White glass, spreading its soft yet strong glow, and revealing the tones of Red and Tea that enliven the core of its...
Glass
$271,241 / item
21st Century Marcello Chandeliers in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
It brings to mind orderly rows of bell-shaped flowers, as fine as glass. But it also evokes the exotic beauty of the Far East and the ornate Baroque sty...
Glass
21st Century Doge Shape 1 Long Chandeliers in Straw-Yellow
By Venini, Napoleone Martinuzzi
Located in murano, IT
From the Latin term "dux", meaning "duke" or "commander", the Doge was the chief magistrate and leader of La Serenissima. Today his authority is celebrated in glass, in hues of Cryst...
Glass
21st Century Doge Shape 1 Long Chandeliers in Crystal by Napoleone Martinuzzi
By Venini, Napoleone Martinuzzi
Located in murano, IT
From the Latin term "dux", meaning "duke" or "commander", the Doge was the chief magistrate and leader of La Serenissima. Today his authority is celebrated in glass, in hues of Cryst...
Glass
Vintage Ceiling Lamp Crystal by Camer design from Venini Italy 70s Murano
By Venini, Camer Glass
Located in Biella, IT
Venini made glass for Camer in both the Triedri and Quadriedri Prism Chandelier from the 1970s. ceiling lamp design vintage years ’70 in crystal "quadrilobi" perfect condition A. ...
Brass
21st Century Gio Ponti 99.81 12-Light Chandeliers in Green / Grey
By Venini, Gio Ponti
Located in murano, IT
A work of art. More than that, a myth. Gio Ponti 99.81 owes its undisputed modernity and originality to the boundless creativity of its creator, Gio Ponti. Its uniqueness lies in its...
Glass
21st Century Fungo Massimo Table Lamp in Grey/Milk-White by Vignelli
By Massimo Vignelli, Venini
Located in murano, IT
How can such a complex and sophisticated technique like "Canne" (canes) give life to such a natural and spontaneous shape? Only Massimo Vignelli knows. Designed in 1956, this unique ...
Glass
Massimo Vignelli, Pendant lamp, prod. Venini anni '50
By Venini, Massimo Vignelli
Located in Rivoli, IT
Opal and colored glass pendant lamp designed by Massimo Vignelli and produced by Venti ì, 1950s
Brass
21st Century Argea Large Table Lamp in Straw-Yellow by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Through the power of fire, glass encloses silver or golden leaves, glowing brightly and creating unique optical illusions that evoke the sea. Argea shines its inner light, and become...
Glass
21st Century Diamantei Extra Large Chandeliers in Amber Yellow/Grass Green
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Exquisitely Baroque in style, regal in appearance, and available in a variety of sizes and colors, it is the undisputed star of any setting. A series of alternating soft and sharp cu...
Glass
21st Century Parallelo 893.80 Pendant Light in Black/Crystal/Tea by Peter Marino
By Peter Marino, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Parallelo 893.80 H63,5 CR/NE/TE Additional Information: Material: Glass Colour: Black/Crystal/Tea Light Source: 1 x max 8W LED E14 - Dimmable Finishes: Black nickel metal Dim...
Glass
21st Century Abaco Shape 2, 3 Sphere Suspension Light in Crystal/Milk-White
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Calculations, numbers, man’s endless attempt to rationalize an otherwise intuitive world. All this enclosed in a unique work by Monica Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin. Crafted with sph...
Glass
21st Century Doge Shape 2 Short Chandeliers in Straw-Yellow
By Venini, Napoleone Martinuzzi
Located in murano, IT
From the Latin term "dux", meaning "duke" or "commander", the Doge was the chief magistrate and leader of La Serenissima. Today his authority is celebrated in glass, in hues of Cryst...
Glass
21st Century Carlo Scarpa 99.37 Small Table Lamp in Crystal Blown Glass
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in murano, IT
An innovative designer with a passion for experimentation, Carlo Scarpa turned this work into the utmost expression of his artistic and artisanal knowledge. The linearity of glass me...
Blown Glass
21st Century Esprit Extra Small Chandeliers in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Viewers feel compelled to touch every single petal of its flowers and every single point of its stars, to make sure they’re real. Esprit conveys the power of nature and of light. Esp...
Glass
21st Century Doge Shape 2 Long Chandeliers in Grey by Napoleone Martinuzzi
By Napoleone Martinuzzi, Venini
Located in murano, IT
DOGE 839.02 H.120 TP Additional information: Material: glass Colour: grey Light source: 1 x max 12W LED E27 Finishes: gold plated metal Dimensions: Ø 45 x H 120 cm Available...
Glass
21st Century Blown Glass Balloton Table Lamp in Grey by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
The latest re-edition features bright new elements, complex shapes and different uses. But it stays true to the Balloton technique, which lends a unique texture – pleasant to the eye...
Blown Glass
21st Century Gio Ponti 99.81 12-Light Chandeliers in Grey
By Gio Ponti, Venini
Located in murano, IT
A work of art. More than that, a myth. Gio Ponti 99.81 owes its undisputed modernity and originality to the boundless creativity of its creator, Gio Ponti. Its uniqueness lies in its...
Glass
21st Century Tappeto Volante Chandeliers in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Nastri 905.03 SOSP CRISTALLO Additional information: Material: glass Colour: crystal Light source: 3 x max 12W LED R7S Finishes: chrome metal Dimensions: W 120 x H 35 cm
Glass
21st Century Carlo Scarpa 99.37 Large Table Lamp in Crystal Blown Glass
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in murano, IT
An innovative designer with a passion for experimentation, Carlo Scarpa turned this work into the utmost expression of his artistic and artisanal knowledge. The linearity of glass me...
Blown Glass
21st Century Ettore Sottsass Collection Bhusanam Table Lamp in Multicolor
By Venini, Ettore Sottsass
Located in murano, IT
In the hands of Ettore Sottsass, glass and metal take on new shapes that nod to India. They give a new visual meaning to the Sanskrit term that inspires the name of this piece: bhu?a...
Glass
21st Century Argea Glass Wall Light in Straw-Yellow by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Through the power of fire, glass encloses silver or golden leaves, glowing brightly and creating unique optical illusions that evoke the sea. Argea shines its inner light, and become...
Glass
21st Century Porpora 7-Light Chandeliers in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Essential decorations and a sleek structure with simple arms and cups, for a minimalist design by VENINI. Born in 1924 yet timeless, it has stood the test of time. It is just as mode...
Glass
$14,047 / item
21st Century Esprit Wall Light in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Viewers feel compelled to touch every single petal of its flowers and every single point of its stars, to make sure they’re real. Esprit conveys the power of nature and of light. Esp...
Vintage Massimo Vignelli Style 'Fungo’ Table Lamps 1950s
By Venini
Located in Pulborough, GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning rare pair of 'Fungo' Murano glass table lamps inspired by Massimo Vignelli. A true statement pair of lamps, well and beautifully ...
Murano Glass
21st Century Doge Shape 1 Short Chandeliers in Straw-Yellow
By Venini, Napoleone Martinuzzi
Located in murano, IT
From the Latin term "dux", meaning "duke" or "commander", the Doge was the chief magistrate and leader of La Serenissima. Today his authority is celebrated in glass, in hues of Cryst...
Glass
21st Century Doge Shape 1 Short Chandeliers in Grey by Napoleone Martinuzzi
By Venini, Napoleone Martinuzzi
Located in murano, IT
DOGE 839.10 H.80 TP Additional Information: Material: Glass Color: Grey Light Source: 1 x max 12W LED E27 Finishes: Gold plated metal Dimensions: Ø 50 x H 80 cm Available in...
Glass
21st Century Doge Shape 2 Short Chandeliers in Crystal by Napoleone Martinuzzi
By Venini, Napoleone Martinuzzi
Located in murano, IT
From the Latin term "dux", meaning "duke" or "commander", the Doge was the chief magistrate and leader of La Serenissima. Today his authority is celebrated in glass, in hues of Cryst...
Glass
21st Century Gio Ponti 99.81 12-Light Chandeliers in Coral/Cystal
By Gio Ponti, Venini
Located in murano, IT
A work of art. More than that, a myth. Gio Ponti 99.81 owes its undisputed modernity and originality to the boundless creativity of its creator, Gio Ponti. Its uniqueness lies in its...
Glass
21st Century Anni Trenta Luce Small Wall Light in Straw-Yellow by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Art Nouveau, Charleston, the dawn of a new design era. The 1930s, celebrated by VENINI in 1997 and wistfully recalled with essential and innovative shapes like those that marked the ...
21st Century Esprit Small Chandeliers in Amber Yellow/Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Viewers feel compelled to touch every single petal of its flowers and every single point of its stars, to make sure they’re real. Esprit conveys the power of nature and of light. Esp...
Glass
21st Century Balloton Ceiling Lamp Shape 3 in Tea by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
The latest re-edition features bright new elements, complex shapes and different uses. But it stays true to the Balloton technique, which lends a unique texture – pleasant to the eye...
Glass
21st Century Tolboi - Belboi - Stilboi Table Lamp in Milk-White/Red by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
It rests quietly on its shelf, waiting to shine its light. It’s Belboi. Light passes through Milk White glass, spreading its soft yet strong glow, and revealing the tones of Red and ...
Glass
21st Century Balloton Table Lamp in Grey Blown Glass by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
The latest re-edition features bright new elements, complex shapes and different uses. But it stays true to the Balloton technique, which lends a unique ...
Blown Glass
21st Century Abaco Shape 1, 5 Sphere Suspension Light in Multicolour
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Calculations, numbers, man’s endless attempt to rationalize an otherwise intuitive world. All this enclosed in a unique work by Monica Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin. Crafted with sph...
Glass
21st Century Tolboi, Belboi, Stilboi Wall Light in Milk-White / Red by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
It hangs quietly on the wall, glancing down from above. It’s Stilboi. Light passes through Milk White glass, spreading its soft yet strong glow, and revealing the tones of Red and Te...
Glass
21st Century Anni Trenta Luce Ceiling Light in Straw-Yellow by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Art Nouveau, Charleston, the dawn of a new design era. The 1930s, celebrated by VENINI in 1997 and wistfully recalled with essential and innovative shapes like those that marked the ...
Glass