Mid-Century Modernist Polyhedral Chandelier by Carlo Scarpa for Venini
View Similar Items
Mid-Century Modernist Polyhedral Chandelier by Carlo Scarpa for Venini
About the Item
- Creator:Venini (Maker),Carlo Scarpa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 35 in (88.9 cm)Diameter: 20 in (50.8 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: 15010979345274
Carlo Scarpa
Carlo Scarpa was born in Venice in 1906 and became one of the leading figures of architecture and international design during the 20th century. At merely 21 years old — and still a student at the Academy of Fine Arts — Scarpa began working as a designer for master Murano glassmaker M.V.M. Cappellin. Within a few years, he completely revolutionized the approach to art glass.
In a short time, under the guidance of Scarpa, the Capellin furnace not only established itself as the top glass company, but above all it introduced modernity and international fame to Murano glassmaking. Scarpa created a personal style of glassmaking, a new vision that irreversibly changed glass production.
The young Scarpa experimented with new models and colors: his chromatic combinations, impeccable execution and geometric shapes became his modus operandi. Thanks to Scarpa’s continuous research on vitreous matter, Cappellin produced a series of high-quality glass objects, that saw the company revisiting ancient processing techniques such as the watermark and Phoenician decoration.
When he encountered the challenge of opaque glass, Scarpa proposed introducing textures of considerable chromatic impact, such as glass pastes and glazed glass with bright colors. Scarpa also collaborated in the renovation of Palazzo da Mula in Murano, the home of Cappellin. At the academy, he obtained the diploma of professor of architectural design and obtained an honorary degree from the Venice University Institute of Architecture of which he was director.
In 1931, Scarpa's collaboration with Cappellin ended, following the bankruptcy of the company because it was not able to withstand the economic crisis linked to the Great Depression. But Scarpa did not go unnoticed by Paolo Venini — in 1933, the young designer became the new artistic director of the biggest glass company in Murano.
Master glassmakers thought Scarpa's projects and sketches were impossible, but the passionate and curious designer always managed to get exactly what he wanted. Until 1947 he remained at the helm of Venini & Co., where he created some of the best known masterpieces of modern glassmaking. Scarpa’s work with Venini was characterized by the continuous research on the subject, the use of color and techniques that he revisited in a very personal way, and the development of new ways of working with master glassmakers.
At the beginning of the 1930s, "bubble", "half filigree" and "submerged" glass appeared for the first time on the occasion of the Venice Biennale of 1934. A few years later, at the Biennale and the VI Triennale of Milan, Venini exhibited its lattimi and murrine romane pieces, which were born from a joint idea between Scarpa and Paolo Venini.
In 1938 Scarpa increased production, diversifying the vases from "objects of use" to sculptural works of art. In the same year he laid the foundation for the famous "woven" glass collection, exhibited the following year. In the subsequent years, Scarpa–Venini continued to exhibit at the Biennale and in various other shows their the "black and red lacquers," the granulari and the incisi, produced in limited series, and the "Chinese," which was inspired by Asian porcelain.
Scarpa's creations for Venini garnered an international response and were a great success, leaving forever an indelible mark on the history of glassmaking. The last Biennale in which Carlo Scarpa participated as artistic director of Venini was in 1942. He left the company five years later.
The time that Scarpa spent in the most important glass factory in Murano would attach a great artistic legacy to the company. His techniques and styles were resumed in the postwar period under the guidance of Tobia Venini, Paolo's son. In the 1950s, after the departure of Scarpa, Fulvio Bianconi was the new visionary at the Biennials with Venini.
On 1stDibs, vintage Carlo Scarpa glass and furniture are for sale, including decorative objects, tables, chandeliers and more.
(Biography provided by Ophir Gallery Inc.)
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.
- Modernist Handblown Translucent Murano Glass Polyhedral ChandelierBy Venini, Carlo ScarpaLocated in New York, NYThis luminous modernist glass chandelier features numerous handblown Murano translucent glass polyhedral shades. Each glass polyhedral shade...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsChrome
- Mid-Century Modernist Faceted Crystal Hexagonal Chandelier by KinkeldeyBy KinkeldeyLocated in New York, NYMid-Century modernist faceted crystal chandelier in hexagonal form by Kinkeldey. Squares of hand-cut faceted crystals rest side by side, supported by central chrome ball fittings, in...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsCrystal, Chrome
- Sculptural Bauhaus Style Mid-Century Modernist Chandelier by Rene HerbstBy René HerbstLocated in New York, NYThis sculptural Mid-Century Modernist chandelier consists of circular polished aluminum geometric elements configured in a stacked over-lapping fashion. Suspended by a rod with brass...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsAluminum, Brass
- Mid-Century Modernist Polyhedral Pendant w/ Geometric Brushed AluminumBy VeniniLocated in New York, NYThis stunning Mid-Century Modern chandelier was realized by the esteemed atelier of Venini in Murano, Italy- the island off the coast of Venice renowned for centuries for its superla...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsAluminum
- Mid-Century Modernist Chandelier by Kinkeldey in Chrome and Textured GlassBy KinkeldeyLocated in New York, NYThis gorgeous Mid-Century Modernist chandelier by Kinkeldey has a chrome five-arm design emanating from a center point, each arm has a band that wraps around and supports the cylindr...Category
Vintage 1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsGlass
- Mid-Century Modernist Alabaster Chandelier with Neoclassical Scroll MotifLocated in New York, NYThis exquisite Mid-Century Modernist chandelier features an alabaster dome shade with notch detailing and neoclassical scroll motif between each notch. It has antiqued brass fittings...Category
Vintage 1940s French Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsAlabaster
- Carlo Scarpa Poliedri Applique Chandelier for VeniniBy Carlo Scarpa, VeniniLocated in Brooklyn, NYPoliedri applique, suspension lamp and wall sconce, designed by Carlo Scarpa and manufactured by Venini, were originally designed in 1958. Indoor use only. Dimensions: Ø 81 cm, H...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsGlass
$20,910 / item - Murano Reticello Pendant by Carlo Scarpa for VeniniBy Carlo Scarpa, VeniniLocated in Los Angeles, CAVintage Italian pendant with Murano glass body and diffuser hand blown in the "Reticello" technique on brass frame, designed by Carlo Scarpa for Venini, made in Italy circa 1950s Dia...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBlown Glass, Murano Glass
- Venini Carlo Scarpa 12-Light Chandelier in ClearBy Venini, Carlo ScarpaLocated in Brooklyn, NYCarlo Scarpa chandelier, designed by Carlo Scarpa and manufactured by Venini, was originally designed in 1940. Numbered edition, available in three different sizes. Indoor use only. ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsGlass
$36,240 / item - Italian mid century glass Poliedri chandelier by Carlo Scarpa for Venini, 1958By Venini, Carlo ScarpaLocated in MIlano, ITItalian mid century modern light pink and yellow polyhedral elements glass Poliedri chandelier or ceiling lamp by Carlo Scarpa for Venini, 1958. Glass chandelier, suitable as a ceili...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
- Carlo Scarpa Poliedri Chandelier 1969 Murano Glass Light 110cm Mid Century ItalyBy Carlo Scarpa, VeniniLocated in Munster, NRWCalled "Poliedri" in Italian and known as "Polyhedral" in English, this design was created by Carlos Scarpa (1906-1978) for Venini when he was their art...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBlown Glass
- Carlo Scarpa Mid-Century Modern Murano Glass Poliedri Chandelier by VeniniBy Venini, Carlo ScarpaLocated in Puglia, PugliaItalian chandelier from the island of Murano. This piece has a brass frame that supports an impressive array of 178 Murano glass, eggplant-colored, polyhedral shaped pieces. Illumina...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBrass
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Vincent Van Duysen Imbues Minimalism with Warmth
The Antwerp-based designer lends his unique touch to homes, boutiques and offices in Belgium, the United States and Germany, as well as furniture for B&B Italia and Molteni.
20th-Century Design Shines at the High Style Deco Auction
New York furniture dealer Howard Williams not only has an eye for top-notch pieces from a range of eras but also meticulously restores them to their original glory.