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.
21st Century Tolboi - Belboi - Stilboi Wall Light in Milk-White/Tea by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
It hangs quietly on the wall, glancing down from above. It’s Stilboi. Light passes through Milk White glass, spreading its soft yet strong glow, and revealing the tones of Red and Te...
Glass
21st Century Anni Trenta Luce Large Wall Light in Milk-White by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Art Nouveau, Charleston, the dawn of a new design era. The 1930s, celebrated by VENINI in 1997 and wistfully recalled with essential and innovative shapes like those that marked the ...
$2,837 / item
21st Century Abaco Wall Light in Grey/Milk-White
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Calculations, numbers, man’s endless attempt to rationalize an otherwise intuitive world. All this enclosed in a unique work by Monica Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin. Crafted with sph...
Glass
21st Century Abat-Jour Floor Lamp in Amber Yello/Red/Tea by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
The light turns on and precious glass pearls start shining, brightening up the space with their intense hues. Every single sphere is crafted using the special "Balloton" technique, f...
Glass
21st Century Mappamondi Table Lamp in Crystal/Horizon/Sapphire by Sandro Chia
By Sandro Chia, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Earth, air, fire and water. Horizon, Sapphire and Crystal. Red, Arancione and Amber Yellow. Sandro Chia’s luminous globes convey primordial power, catching and holding the viewer’s a...
21st Century Rhythm Large Chandeliers in Milk-White by Alessandro Isola
By I M Lab, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Like notes breaking through the silence and creating rhythm, glass flows through metal structures, turning into lanterns. Rhythm, designed by I M Lab, is the quintessence of the art ...
Glass
21st Century Porpora 9-Light Chandeliers in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Essential decorations and a sleek structure with simple arms and cups, for a minimalist design by VENINI. Born in 1924 yet timeless, it has stood the test of time. It is just as mode...
Glass
21st Century Veliero Glass Floor Lamp in Crystal/Milk-White by Tadao Ando
By Tadao Ando, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Veliero comprises 6 modular elements; the simplicity of the original square remains unchanged, and is actually enhanced by the encounter with the other elements, expressing itself in...
Glass
21st Century Anni Trenta Luce Ceiling Light in Milk-White by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Art Nouveau, Charleston, the dawn of a new design era. The 1930s, celebrated by VENINI in 1997 and wistfully recalled with essential and innovative shapes like those that marked the ...
Glass
$3,779 / item
21st Century Nastri Wall Light in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Nastri is an orderly arranged path of glass that gives meaning to its own complexity. Regardless of its size, small or large, the structure is monumental in appearance, just as the l...
Glass
21st Century Anni Trenta Luce Small Wall Light in Milk-White by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Art Nouveau, Charleston, the dawn of a new design era. The 1930s, celebrated by VENINI in 1997 and wistfully recalled with essential and innovative shapes like those that marked the ...
21st Century Carlo Scarpa 99.37 3-Light Wall Sconce in Crystal by Carlo Scarpa
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in murano, IT
An innovative designer with a passion for experimentation, Carlo Scarpa turned this work into the utmost expression of his artistic and artisanal knowledge. The linearity of glass me...
Glass
21st Century Veliero Floor Lamp in Crystal/Milk-White by Tadao Ando
By Tadao Ando, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Veliero comprises 6 modular elements; the simplicity of the original square remains unchanged, and is actually enhanced by the encounter with the other elements, expressing itself in...
Glass
21st Century Gio Ponti 99.81 2-Light Wall Sconce in Green/Opalin Mole
By Venini, Gio Ponti
Located in murano, IT
A work of art. More than that, a myth. Gio Ponti 99.81 owes its undisputed modernity and originality to the boundless creativity of its creator, Gio Ponti. Its uniqueness lies in its...
Glass
21st Century Gio Ponti 99.81 8-Light Chandeliers in Coral/Cystal
By Gio Ponti, Venini
Located in murano, IT
A work of art. More than that, a myth. Gio Ponti 99.81 owes its undisputed modernity and originality to the boundless creativity of its creator, Gio Ponti. Its uniqueness lies in its...
Glass
21st Century Abat-Jour Table Lamp in Amber Yellow/Red/Tea by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
The light turns on and precious glass pearls start shining, brightening up the space with their intense hues. Every single sphere is crafted using the special "Balloton" technique, f...
Glass
21st Century Parallelo 893.80 Pendant Light in Black/Crystal/Tea by Peter Marino
By Peter Marino, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Parallelo 893.80 H63,5 CR/NE/TE Additional Information: Material: Glass Colour: Black/Crystal/Tea Light Source: 1 x max 8W LED E14 - Dimmable Finishes: Black nickel metal Dim...
Glass
21st Century Blown Glass Balloton Table Lamp in Aquamarine by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
The latest re-edition features bright new elements, complex shapes and different uses. But it stays true to the Balloton technique, which lends a unique ...
Blown Glass
21st Century Carlo Scarpa 99.37, 12-Light Chandeliers in Crystal
By Venini, Carlo Scarpa
Located in murano, IT
An innovative designer with a passion for experimentation, Carlo Scarpa turned this work into the utmost expression of his artistic and artisanal knowledge. The linearity of glass me...
Glass
21st Century Firenze Flush Light in Crystal/Sapphire by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Regardless of their size, small or large, the luminous sculptures by Ettore Sottsass bring to mind the idea and image of the Florentine lily. Revealed ...
Glass
21st Century Rhythm Extra Small Chandeliers in Milk-White by Alessandro Isola
By Venini, I M Lab
Located in murano, IT
Like notes breaking through the silence and creating rhythm, glass flows through metal structures, turning into lanterns. Rhythm, designed by I M Lab, is the quintessence of the art ...
Glass
21st Century Gio Ponti 99.81 2-Light Wall Sconce in Grey
By Venini, Gio Ponti
Located in murano, IT
A work of art. More than that, a myth. Gio Ponti 99.81 owes its undisputed modernity and originality to the boundless creativity of its creator, Gio Ponti. Its uniqueness lies in its...
Glass
21st Century Argea Small Table Lamp in Milk-White by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Through the power of fire, glass encloses silver or golden leaves, glowing brightly and creating unique optical illusions that evoke the sea. Argea shines its inner light, and become...
Glass
21st Century Abaco Shape 2, 5 Sphere Suspension Light in Multicolour
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Calculations, numbers, man’s endless attempt to rationalize an otherwise intuitive world. All this enclosed in a unique work by Monica Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin. Crafted with sph...
Glass
21st Century Abaco Shape 2, 5 Sphere Suspension Light in Crystal/Grey/Milk-White
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Calculations, numbers, man’s endless attempt to rationalize an otherwise intuitive world. All this enclosed in a unique work by Monica Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin. Crafted with sph...
Glass
21st Century Esprit Extra Small Chandeliers in Amber Yellow/Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Viewers feel compelled to touch every single petal of its flowers and every single point of its stars, to make sure they’re real. Esprit conveys the power of nature and of light. Esp...
Glass
21st Century Gio Ponti 99.81 12-Light Chandeliers in Green / Grey
By Venini, Gio Ponti
Located in murano, IT
A work of art. More than that, a myth. Gio Ponti 99.81 owes its undisputed modernity and originality to the boundless creativity of its creator, Gio Ponti. Its uniqueness lies in its...
Glass
21st Century Blown Glass Balloton Table Lamp in Red by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
The latest re-edition features bright new elements, complex shapes and different uses. But it stays true to the Balloton technique, which lends a unique ...
Blown Glass
21st Century Porpora 9-Light Chandeliers in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Essential decorations and a sleek structure with simple arms and cups, for a minimalist design by VENINI. Born in 1924 yet timeless, it has stood the test of time. It is just as mode...
Glass
21st Century Anni Trenta Luce Floor Lamp in Milk-White by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Art Nouveau, Charleston, the dawn of a new design era. The 1930s, celebrated by VENINI in 1997 and wistfully recalled with essential and innovative shapes like those that marked the ...
Glass
21st Century Doge Shape 2 Short Chandeliers in Straw-Yellow
By Venini, Napoleone Martinuzzi
Located in murano, IT
From the Latin term "dux", meaning "duke" or "commander", the Doge was the chief magistrate and leader of La Serenissima. Today his authority is celebrated in glass, in hues of Cryst...
Glass
21st Century Light Shar Small Chandeliers in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
They are waves of water travelling in concentric circles made eternal by glass. Still and bright. Their slightly rippled appearance is due to their trilobate shape, triangles with ro...
Glass
$3,025 / item
21st Century Triedri Wall Light in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
From 1958 to 1960, the Fornace has witnessed the encounter between geometry and art with Triedri. Structures designed based on clear rules trap light inside thin strips of glass with...
Glass
21st Century Balloton Ceiling Lamp Shape 3 in Grey by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
The latest re-edition features bright new elements, complex shapes and different uses. But it stays true to the Balloton technique, which lends a unique texture – pleasant to the eye...
Glass
21st Century Abaco Shape 1, 5 Sphere Suspension Light in Muticolour
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Calculations, numbers, man’s endless attempt to rationalize an otherwise intuitive world. All this enclosed in a unique work by Monica Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin. Crafted with sph...
Glass
21st Century Nastri Small Chandeliers in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Nastri is an orderly arranged path of glass that gives meaning to its own complexity. Regardless of its size, small or large, the structure is monumental in appearance, just as the l...
Glass
21st Century Muse Glass Sculpture Table Lamp in Milk-White by Fabio Novembre
By Fabio Novembre, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Just like the Metaphysical artists from the early 1900s, Fabio Novembre depicts his muses as faceless figures, intent on not seeing nor hearing the tragic events that dominated the e...
Glass
21st Century Rotondo 893.50 Pendant Light in Black/Crystal
By Venini, Peter Marino
Located in murano, IT
Bold shades of Black blend together with the hues of Crystal or Tea of the sphere. They enclose it, surrounding it with thin and thick lines, alternating in a seemingly random fashio...
Glass
21st Century, Balloton Pendant Light Cluster in Crystal / Grey /Indigo
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
The latest re-edition features bright new elements, complex shapes and different uses. But it stays true to the Balloton technique, which lends a unique ...
Glass
21st Century Balloton Suspension Lamp in Grey by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
The latest re-edition features bright new elements, complex shapes and different uses. But it stays true to the Balloton technique, which lends a unique ...
Glass
21st Century Trizebao Suspension Lamp in Aqua Marine / Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Modular elements skilfully handcrafted from sheer glass. A three-dimensional vertical light flows through its core. Trizebao is the utmost expression of...
Glass
21st Century Diamantei Large Chandeliers in Améthyste/Red by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Exquisitely Baroque in style, regal in appearance, and available in a variety of sizes and colors, it is the undisputed star of any setting. A series of alternating soft and sharp cu...
Glass
21st Century Vittoriale 12-Light Chandeliers in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Construction of Gabriele D’Annunzio’s Vittoriale degli Italiani started in the 1920s. In the same decade, Napoleone Martinuzzi designed a unique work that draws inspiration and owes ...
Glass
21st Century Diamantei Small Chandeliers in Améthyste / Red by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Exquisitely Baroque in style, regal in appearance, and available in a variety of sizes and colors, it is the undisputed star of any setting. A series of alternating soft and sharp cu...
Glass
21st Century Rhythm Small Chandeliers in Milk-White by Alessandro Isola
By Venini, I M Lab
Located in murano, IT
Like notes breaking through the silence and creating rhythm, glass flows through metal structures, turning into lanterns. Rhythm, designed by I M Lab, is the quintessence of the art ...
Glass
21st Century Doge Shape 2 Long Chandeliers in Améthyste by Napoleone Martinuzzi
By Napoleone Martinuzzi, Venini
Located in murano, IT
From the Latin term "dux", meaning "duke" or "commander", the Doge was the chief magistrate and leader of La Serenissima. Today his authority is celebrated in glass, in hues of Cryst...
Glass
21st Century Balloton Ceiling Lamp Shape 2 in Indigo by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
The latest re-edition features bright new elements, complex shapes and different uses. But it stays true to the Balloton technique, which lends a unique texture – pleasant to the eye...
Glass
21st Century Balloton Ceiling Lamp Shape 2 in Tea by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
The latest re-edition features bright new elements, complex shapes and different uses. But it stays true to the Balloton technique, which lends a unique texture – pleasant to the eye...
Glass
21st Century Gio Ponti 99.80 3-Light Wall Sconce in Multicolour
By Venini, Gio Ponti
Located in murano, IT
A work of art. More than that, a myth. Gio Ponti 99.80 owes its undisputed modernity and originality to the boundless creativity of its creator, Gio Ponti. Its uniqueness lies in its...
Glass
21st Century Anni Trenta Luce Floor Lamp in Straw-Yellow by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Art Nouveau, Charleston, the dawn of a new design era. The 1930s, celebrated by VENINI in 1997 and wistfully recalled with essential and innovative shapes like those that marked the ...
Glass
21st Century Martinengo 32-Light Chandeliers in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Paolo Venini created this three-tier chandelier with elliptical arms in 1930, one of the largest ever made by VENINI. It is the undisputed star of any interior décor. Martinengo is a...
Glass
21st Century Carlo Scarpa 99.37 8-Light Chandeliers in Crystal
By Carlo Scarpa, Venini
Located in murano, IT
An innovative designer with a passion for experimentation, Carlo Scarpa turned this work into the utmost expression of his artistic and artisanal knowledge. The linearity of glass me...
Glass
21st Century Sasso Table Lamp in Concrete/Grey/Straw-Yellow by Mimmo Rotella
By Mimmo Rotella, Venini
Located in murano, IT
As heavy as a rock but made from glass: Sasso is a colorful creation by Mimmo Rotella in tones of Straw Yellow, Grey and Concrete. A whimsical interplay of little colour spots, clash...
Glass
21st Century Argea Ceiling Light in Milk-White by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Through the power of fire, glass encloses silver or golden leaves, glowing brightly and creating unique optical illusions that evoke the sea. Argea shines its inner light, and become...
Glass
21st Century Vittoriale 6-Light Chandeliers in Crystal by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Construction of Gabriele D’Annunzio’s Vittoriale degli Italiani started in the 1920s. In the same decade, Napoleone Martinuzzi designed a unique work that draws inspiration and owes ...
Glass
21st Century Argea Small Table Lamp in Straw-Yellow by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Through the power of fire, glass encloses silver or golden leaves, glowing brightly and creating unique optical illusions that evoke the sea. Argea shines its inner light, and become...
Glass
21st Century Argea Large Table Lamp in Straw-Yellow by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Through the power of fire, glass encloses silver or golden leaves, glowing brightly and creating unique optical illusions that evoke the sea. Argea shines its inner light, and become...
Glass
21st Century Anni Trenta Luce Large Table Lamp in Milk-White by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Art Nouveau, Charleston, the dawn of a new design era. The 1930s, celebrated by VENINI in 1997 and wistfully recalled with essential and innovative shapes like those that marked the ...
21st Century Diamantei Large Chandeliers in Amber Yellow/Grass Green by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Exquisitely Baroque in style, regal in appearance, and available in a variety of sizes and colors, it is the undisputed star of any setting. A series of alternating soft and sharp cu...
Glass
21st Century Diamantei Medium Chandeliers in Amber Yellow/Grass Green by Venini
By Venini
Located in murano, IT
Exquisitely Baroque in style, regal in appearance, and available in a variety of sizes and colors, it is the undisputed star of any setting. A series of alternating soft and sharp cu...
Glass