Pietro Toso Table Lamp –

Collection of sommerso vases

VLM Components

All the electric parts were made by VLM Components in the 1960s. The company was founded in 1945 in Buccinasco, a small village near Milan, Italy. The company became famous for the switches they produce since 1968, designed by Achille Castiglioni. You can find them over here.

VLM is part of the Relco Group, founded in 1967. Today they are the owners of the brands Relco, Leuci, Relco Lighting, VLM and Segno.

This Pietro Toso table lamp is equipped with a black model 475 switch designed by Achille Castiglioni in 1968. You can find this switch over here on Vintageinfo.

Many Thanks to Ger for the beautiful pictures and enthusiasm.

Pietro Toso Table Lamp

Materials: Hand blown bio-morph green & amber Murano Sommerso glass base. Brass ornamental ring on top of the glass. Round conical fabric lampshade. White Bakelite E27 socket.

Total Height: 35 cm / 13.77”

Height: 29 cm / 11.41”

Lampshade: ∅ 16 x 12 cm / 6.29 x 4.72”

Base: ∅ 10 cm / 3.93”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1950s, 1960s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: To be appraised.

Manufacturer: Pietro Toso, 30141, Murano – Venezia, Italy.

Other versions: This Pietro Toso Murano table lamp exists in several colours and sizes. Many variations were made.

This Sommerso table lamp is typical for the 1950s. Similar lamps were produced by many Murano glass companies. Also the Belgian Val Saint Lambert factory started to produce them in the 1950s. These bio-morph lamp models were a big success and the competition was hard. You can find a few examples here on Vintageinfo.

Pietro Toso

Not much information to be found about the Pietro Toso company. Pietro Toso was in all probability a member of the famous Toso family. The company produced many lamps in this sommerso style. The Pietro Toso company no longer exists.

Sommerso

The sommerso technique became popular in the 50’s thanks to Flavio Poli who designed glass objects for Seguso Vetri d’Arte with delightful selections of colours, proficiently assisted by the hand of the master glassblower Angelo Seguso. The first sommerso items were those designed by Carlo Scarpa for Venini & Co. in the 1930’s. Sommerso are layered colours inside clear glass.

Other well known manufacturers that have produced glass items in this Flavio Poli Sommerso style include Mandruzzato, Formia, Oball, Artistica Murano and Luigi Onesto.

Fratelli Toso

Fratelli Toso (brothers Toso) was founded in 1854 by Ferdinando, Carlo Nicolò, Liberato, Angelo and Giovanni Toso. The glass factory was based in the former Scuola Grande San Giovanni dei Battuti in Venice. The Great School of Saint John of the Beaten.

The Fratelli Toso artistic production has been various and wide during its 150 years of existence. Fratelli Toso has always been focused on murrina production. From the traditional murrine millefiori to a modern reinterpretation by Ermanno Toso and Pollio Perelda. Till modern examples of murrina designed by young designers Rosanna Toso, Giusto Toso and Renato Toso.

Renato Toso left the company in 1974 to start his own business. Fratelli Toso is than run by Arnoldo Toso and Aldo Toso.

In 1981 Fratelli Toso leases the business to two different societies: Fratelli Toso 1854 International, run by Arnoldo’s cousins and uncles. And Antica Vetreria Fratelli Toso, run by Arnoldo Toso. In 1983 Fratelli Toso 1854 INTERNATIONAL closes down. Antica Vetreria Fratelli Toso is still in business and according to their website it never stops its activity.

Renato Toso designed many lamps for Leucos, another Murano glass factory. In 1996 he started Renato Toso, Noti Massari & Associates.