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Twisted Murano Bubble Glass Table Lamp
Materials: Hand-blown twisted crystal Murano bubble glass (pulegoso) base. Some brass parts. Conical fabric lampshade with 2 gold coloured plastic rings. Bakelite E27 socket.
Total Height: 41 cm / 16.14”
Height: 28 cm / 11.02”
Width: ∅ 25 cm / 9.84”
Base: ∅ 9,5 cm / 3.74”
Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 75 watt maximum, 110/220 volt. Suitable for use with different types of E27 bulbs.
Period: 1950s, 1960s.
Designer: Ercole Barovier (1889–1972) – attributed.
Manufacturer: Vetreria Artistica Barovier & C., later Barovier & Toso – attributed.
Other versions: This twisted Murano bubble glass table lamp probably exists in several colours and sizes. The lampshade on this example is not original.
Barovier & Toso
Barovier & Toso, also written as Barovier&Toso, is one of the oldest names in Murano glass. The Barovier family history on Murano is usually traced back to Jacobello Barovier, recorded in 1295.
One of the most famous early members of the family was Angelo Barovier, who worked in the 15th century. He is associated with the celebrated Coppa Barovier, or Barovier wedding cup, produced around 1445 and now preserved in the Murano Glass Museum. It is considered one of the great masterpieces of Renaissance Venetian glass.
The modern history of the company developed in several stages. In the late 19th century the name Fratelli Barovier was used, later followed by Artisti Barovier. Around 1919–1920, after Benvenuto Barovier left the company, his sons Nicolò and Ercole Barovier continued the business under the name Vetreria Artistica Barovier & C.
In 1936 the company merged with Ferro Toso. The merged company was first known as Ferro Toso Barovier, Vetrerie Artistiche Riunite S.A., before becoming Barovier & Toso.
Ercole Barovier was one of the most important Murano glass designers of the 20th century. He was not only a designer, but also an experimenter with colours, glass formulas and decorative effects. His work includes many well-known Barovier & Toso series and techniques, and his archive is said to contain more than 25,000 designs.
The label on this table lamp is attributed to Barovier & Toso. A comparable label was discussed on the archived Glass Message Board image gallery of the Glassmessages.com forum website.
Pulegoso glass
Pulegoso is an Italian glass term derived from the Venetian dialect word pulega, meaning bubble. Pulegoso glass contains many small and irregular air bubbles, giving the glass a semi-opaque, softly textured appearance.
The technique is closely associated with Napoleone Martinuzzi (1892–1977), who developed and used it on Murano in the late 1920s while working for Venini. It became one of the characteristic decorative glass effects of Murano production.
Links (external links open in a new window)
The Economist: World’s oldest family companies
Glass Message Board – Glass Identification of 20th Century Glass
Murano glass blowing – Wikipedia
The Glass Museum on the Murano Island
Vintageinfo
Twisted Murano Bubble Glass Table Lamp – Company Labels & Logos
