Large Profili Sword Lily Murano Glass Vase by Anna Gili

Anna Gili shows the world just how playful furniture design can be. Working with ceramics, Murano glass and a range of fabrics in the creation of her carpets, side tables, vases and other furnishings and objects, Gili demonstrates an academic mastery over her craft as well as copious natural artistic sensibilities. Her bold use of color and dazzling patterns has earned her an unshakable reputation for ingenuity and originality.

When Gili came onto the design scene in 1983, she was gripped by the energy of the Italian avant-garde movement. It gave her the freedom to explore the conventional limits of furniture design and would inspire her to incorporate art and architecture into the creation of her own furnishings, interior projects and decorative objects. Gili graduated from the Istituto Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche in Florence in 1984. It was the era of Memphis and loud, extroverted design, and her thesis project garnered attention from some of the day's postmodern influencers. She was invited to exhibit alongside Ettore Sottsass, Tobia Scarpa and others at the 1985 Triennale di Milano. In 1989, Gili moved from Florence to Milan and opened a studio.

Gili’s work often features human, plant and animal forms, and sometimes her designs feel as though they might come to life at any moment. At the same time, she uses exaggerated shapes and colors that lend the pieces a whimsical, dreamlike quality. She has been a prominent figure in the Italian furniture world for decades, and in fact, she inspired the design of Alessi’s iconic Anna G. corkscrews created by Alessandro Mendini, a legendary Milanese designer and friend of Gili’s. 

Over the years, the Anna Gili Design Studio has amassed an esteemed list of partners. Her furnishings and decor have appeared in the collections of Alessi, Cassina, Swarovski, CVM, Salviati, Trend Mosaic and many others.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Anna Gili rugs, tables, decorative objects and more.

Not only did Salviati support the revival of Venice’s flagging Murano glass industry in the 19th century, but the company also became world-renowned for its innovative glassmaking techniques, revolutionizing the art of mosaics and glassware design.

The story of Salviati glass begins with Vicenza-born lawyer and entrepreneur Antonio Salviati. His love of Murano glass art and mosaics inspired him to establish his own mosaic and glass manufacturing firm, the Salviati Dott. Antonio fu Bartolomeo company, in Venice in 1859. Glassmakers in the region had been weathering a dismal political climate and growing competition in neighboring countries, and Salviati had initially hoped to revive Murano glassmaking in order to restore deteriorating mosaics in local cathedrals.

In 1864, Salviati exhibited a monumental glass mosaic at the “First Glassmakers’ Exhibition,” which won the gold medal. His award-winning mosaic solidified his company’s reputation as a first-rate glassmaker, which soon drew the attention of international investors, particularly investors from Great Britain.

In 1866, Salviati and C. opened in London with the support of historian William Drake and diplomat Sir Austen Henry Layard. Meanwhile, the Salviati company established its headquarters on the Rio dei Vetrai in Murano.

Throughout the late 1800s, Salviati and C. expanded its production to include household glassware and serveware and decorative objects such as cups, glasses, amphoras and vials. Salviati also received commissions to produce mosaics for St Paul’s Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament in London, the Paris Opera House and the Viceroy of Egypt’s Palace in Alexandria.

After Antonio Salviati died in 1890, his sons Giulio and Silvio took over the company. The Barovier family — a dynasty that stretches as far back as 1295 — bought the manufacturer in 1883, and a glass master named Maurizio Camerino, who had honed his skills at Salviati, was appointed to lead the company. Camerino’s children took the reins following the glass master’s death in 1931 and launched a successful lighting line of table lamps and chandeliers after World War II.

Throughout the 20th century, Salviati participated in several Venice Biennale exhibitions from 1958 to 1972. In 1962, the company was awarded the Compasso d’Oro prize for the Marco vase, designed by architect Sergio Asti.

Since its acquisition by the Umana group in 2015, Salviati has collaborated with numerous renowned designers such as Federico Peri, Davide Bruno, Renzo Stellon, Alberto Lago and Anna Gili. Salviati's pieces can be found in the collections of the Museum August Kestner in Hanover, Germany, the Museum of Modern Art and Corning Museum of Glass in New York, the Eretz Museum in Tel Aviv, Israel, and the Murano Glass Museum in Venice.

Find antique Salviati glass that includes bowls, vases, lighting and more.