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Murano glass is the longest lasting center for glass making in history, spanning from the 9th century to today. It is known for its beautiful and innovative artwork and glasswork. Because Murano does have such a long history, one can easily see the reflection of important events, including the Renaissance and Napoleon"s conquest of Europe, and how they affected a small island of glassmakers in the Adriatic Sea.Murano is located on a small island northwest of the city of Venice, Italy -- not much larger than a few square miles.
It is believed the origins of Murano Glass dates back to 9th century Rome, with significant Asian and Muslim influences, as Venice was a major trading port. Multihued perle (beads) were used in trading with Asian, African and Muslim neighbors. The first known historical document describes Domenico, a glass blowing master, who created bottles. Other equally rare documents describe Pietro Fiolario working with glass in 1083 and Giovanni Fiolario as a master glass blower making bottles in 1158.
During the1930s, Ermanno Toso changed the direction of Murano Glass, from one of creating traditional Muranese objects to one of one of more modern tastes. War threatened the glass masters in the 40s, but the industry managed to survive World War II and emerged post-war with pent up artistic energy, making the 1950s some of the most creative and innovative years the island of Murano have ever seen. The filigrana technique was expanded and used to new effect by another Murano master, Archimede Seguso, who opened his own shop, Vetreria Archimede Seguso, in 1946. Today, collectors consider the works created during this time the most desirable.
Artists including Dino Martens, who brought traditional Venetian techniques to America, Flavio Poli and Fulvio Bianconi all began making unique, non-traditional works to express their creativity.
Since the 1950"s the maestros in Venice have collaborated with artists worldwide, including Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore and Jean Cocteau in addition to serving as a mentors to artists who started the American Studio Glass movement.
A recent challenge to the Venetian glassblowers in the marketplace has been counterfeiting. Beginning in the 1990"s and continuing today, many of the classic vases, glassware and millefiore objects are being counterfeited in Asia, for sale overseas.
In September 2002, in response to this growing problem, Promovetro, the glassmaker"s consortium registered a Murano trademark with the European Union. The mark, a lilac colored sticker with a glassmaker"s cana de soffio (blowpipe) and the Italian inscription "Artistic Glass Murano" is printed on a film that is difficult to replicate or counterfeit.
In another recent development, on February 14, 2003, the city of Venice unveiled the new trademark for the city, created by French designer Mathieu Thibautto as seen above. The future of the Murano is as bright as ever. Continual innovation coupled with a renewed emphasis on collaboration with artists worldwide will serve the island well, allowing the maestro"s to flourish and establish the 21st century as another "Golden Age" of Murano glass!
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