Sergio Asti Demodè Vase for Venini, Murano Glass, Italy, 1968

About the Item

Vase from the Demodè series Lactime blown glass with polychrome glass inclusions. Venini, ca. 1968 Historic Venini adhesive label. Signature engraved under the base Bibliography: F. De Boni, The Venini Glass. Catalogo 1921-2007, Ed. Allemandi, Turin, 2007, plate 292 Biography Sergio Asti (Milan, May 25, 1926 - Milan, July 27, 2021) has always been concerned with problems related to architecture, interior design and industrial design. After graduating in Architecture at the Polytechnic University in Milan, he has been appointed as an assistant professor of Interior Design for five years. Many projects and works have been completed both in Italy and abroad in the following fields: architecture, interiors, furniture and exhibition areas. He was one of the forerunners to be concerned with industrial design in the fifties. He was one of the founder members of ADI (Association of Industrial Design) and he is still an honorary member. He has participated in several executive committees or work commissions organized by ADI itself. He has been a lecturer for industrial design at the High Institute of Art in Venice and abroad at Shizuoka, Japan, at the High Experimental Institute. He has given several lectures both in Italy and abroad: France, Germany, Portugal, U.S.A., Japan, China, India, Thailand. He has been appointed as a judge in several competitions of architecture and industrial design. He works with some of the most important companies in the following fields: furniture, lamps, cars, electric household appliances, household goods, hi-fi, ceramic and glass ware. He has been awarded with several honours and prizes: the “Triennale” exhibition, the “Compasso d’Oro” exhibition, the M.O.M.A. in New York, and more rewards received by the French and Japanese Trade and Industry Ministry, or at several BIO exhibitions in Lubljana. He has often been asked to participate in group or one man exhibitions: in Italy, Canada, United States, Japan, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Brazil, France. Many of his works are included in the collections of some of the most important museums, as well as in Italian and foreign private collections. Many important Italian and foreign books and technical or art magazines have published his works and articles. Superego editions was born in 2006, performing a constant activity of research in decorative arts by offering both contemporary and vintage works, together with its own limited editions. Superego over the years has produced e made several editions with A. Mendini, a. Branzi, M. Giacon, M. Cibic, A. Mangiarotti, U. La Pietra, etc. Over the last few years, Superego has also developed its own collection designed by its own studio and signed as Studio Superego. Studio Superego takes inspiration from an instinctive passion for minerals where approaching the world of crystals means deeply understanding of the beauty and perfection of nature.

Creator:
Venini (Manufacturer),Sergio Asti (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)Diameter: 8.27 in (21 cm)
Style:
Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Murano Glass
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
1968
Production Type:
Limited Edition
Condition:
Seller Location:
Asti, IT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2140350733982

Shop All Venini

Venini

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.