Please refer to the photos as they make up part of the item’s description.Īll of my items are vintage and may have some degree of wear. They are made of cast plaster and painted gold. I thought I would show you just a few examples of Murano in this blog, just to show that even though all glass that comes from this little group of islands can be called ‘Murano’, they are what I would call same same, but different.These beautiful bookends are in excellent vintage condition with only one chip on the bottom of one of the bookends where it wouldn't be seen. But of course, glass animals and birds are produced all over the world, by all manner of glassmakers, even Wedgewood have done a version of this duckling. Vincenzo Nason had been a glass designer at famous the Murano glassworks of Venini, prior to starting his own company and glassworks on the island of Murano in 1967.Īnimal and bird Murano glass sculptures are incredibly popular, not just with collectors, but also with those who would like a piece of Murano glass as a souvenir, as, depending on the size and the glassmakers these are often among the less expensive options for first-time Murano buyers. This little smokey glass duckling sculpture is another lovely example of Murano, this time from V. I am yet to determine who the artist/designer of the mottled pink pear is, if you know, leave me a comment or drop me an email, I’m always curious to know the history of my collection. But both pears, like I said, are Murano, being that they were both produced in this little group of islands. Whereas the pear on the right, is hand-blown and although it too is reasonably heavy and the glass is thick, it is actually hollow. As with most Murano pieces, for something that is reasonably small, it is quite heavy and other than the bubble inclusions, it is solid glass, with a brass stem and leaf. The pear on the left is a 1960’s Creazioni Silvestri iconic piece, initially part of a set, paired with an apple, which were marketed as ‘desk-top’ bookends or paperweights. While these two glass pears may be quite different to look at, one thing they have in common, is they are both ‘Murano’.
A thousand years after the first glassmakers started working on Murano, the distinct styles of the Venetian ‘Murano’ glass is sought after the world over, with literally thousands of glass artists having made names for themselves, from this tiny part of Italy. From the eleventh century onwards, Murano has consistently produced the finest glass wares literally on the planet.
#Silvestri brass bookends series#
But of course, Murano is actually a series of islands, just north of Venice in Italy, where, although only about 5000 people live there, it is world famous for the art glass it produces. I could always pick out the Murano pieces in the antique and vintage shops, as their quality tends to stand out. But hey, I could be wrong! Until I find myself a Murano expert one day, I really won’t know.įor many years when I was younger, I thought that ‘Murano’ must be a specific company in Italy, who made beautiful glass pieces, of all sorts and shapes. As for my bowl, I believe it is by Alfredo Barbini, as there are literally thousands of references to him being the artist responsible for these magnificently stylised pieces of art glass. Who was the artist, well that is always the hard part, unless there is a sticker, an etching, a signature, finding out what your Murano pieces are and who made them, can be a bit of hit and miss. About 15 years ago I bought my first piece of ‘Murano’ glass, a gorgeous vintage mid-1950’s ‘Venetian Art Glass Cranberry/Purple & Gold-fleck Bowl’ in the ‘Bullicante’ controlled bubble style.
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