Vittorio Zecchin was a celebrated creative figure who worked across a range of disciplines including furniture design, textiles and more, but his contribution to modern Italian glassmaking is widely influential. Vintage Zecchin glass pieces and decorative objects have perfect symmetry and elegant luster; his artist's eye and masterful skills are evident in each work.
Zecchin developed an early passion for glassmaking but wasn't interested in the extensive ornamentation of 19th-century Venetian styles. He preferred simpler surfaces that emphasized a vessel’s form and bold, monochromatic palettes.
Zecchin was born on the island of Murano, near Venice. His father was a master glassblower. When he was 18, Zecchin enrolled in the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice. He halted his studies in painting early and instead secured work at a glass furnace for a Murano workshop where he learned glassmaking techniques.
In 1909, Zecchin took part in the effort to transform the Venetian palace Ca’ Pesaro into an art museum. He worked alongside notable painters including Amedeo Modigliani, Teodoro Wolf Ferrari and Umberto Boccioni, and the colors he used and forms he integrated specifically reflected what he had learned in the workshop on Murano.
In 1913 and 1914, Zecchin partnered with Artisti Barovier to create glass mosaics in the Vienna Secessionist style. Some of these were in the 1914 Venice Biennale where they received critical acclaim. Barovier was eventually renamed Barovier & Toso, a name under which the company still operates today.
Zecchin later established a tapestry workshop on Murano and experimented with creating decorative glass pieces. Gradually moving his practice away from painting, by 1919 he was composing enameled glass pieces, tapestries and other textiles.
In 1921, the glass manufactory Vetri Soffiati Cappellin Venini & C. — which is today known as Venini & Co. — hired Zecchin as its artistic director. Along with streamlined shapes and uncomplicated colors, he instilled glass with a vivid intensity by immersing finished pieces in tin or titanium vapors while they were still hot. His style and vision earned him universal recognition in his field.
Zecchin left the firm in 1926 to pursue independent artistic interests, yet he continued to collaborate with the company’s designers. From 1934 until his death in 1947, Zecchin taught at numerous trade schools and institutions, passing on his artistic knowledge on to younger generations.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Vittorio Zecchin decorative objects, lighting, serveware and more.
Vittorio Zecchin for MVM Cappellin Mauve Murano Vertro Dish, Italy 1920s
By MVM Cappelin, Vittorio Zecchin
Located in Naples, IT
Large glass dish blown mauve color designed by Vittorio Zecchin for MVM Cappellin in the 1920s. The plate was produced in different sizes; this is the medium version, which is ver...
Murano Glass
Cenedese & Albarelli Amestista Murano Glass Centerpiece, Italy 1970s
By Cenedese & Albarelli
Located in Naples, IT
Murano Glass Center Piece blown, shaded amethyst coloring. Marked Cenedese & Albarelli Murano.
Murano Glass
Flavio Poli Submerged Murano Glass Centerpiece, Italy 1960s
By Flavio Poli
Located in Naples, IT
Murano glass bowl made using the Sommerso technique with a fantastic organic shape. The bowl has a free, sculptural form, with inwardly folded edges that create a sinuous, asymmetric...
Murano Glass
Flavio Poli Submerged Murano Glass Centerpiece, Italy 1960s
By Flavio Poli
Located in Naples, IT
Small Murano submerged glass centerpiece, dating from the 1960s. Made using the "submerged" technique, which layers different colors of glass.It features shades of deep blue, light b...
Murano Glass
Fontana Arte Large Glass Centerpiece Mod.1639, Italy 1960s
By Fontana Arte
Located in Naples, IT
Large and rare salmon pink beveled glass centerpiece or plate by Fontana Arte, model 1639, Italy, circa 1961. This exquisite glass centerpiece has a triangular shape with softly roun...
Glass
Flavio Poli for Seguso Purple Submerged Murano Glass Centerpiece, 1960s
By Flavio Poli, Seguso
Located in Naples, IT
Stunning centerpiece made of authentic Murano art glass, designed by renowned master Flavio Poli and made by the historic Seguso Vetri d'Arte glassworks between the 1950s and 1960s. ...
Murano Glass
Vetro Soffiato Centerpiece by Vittorio Zecchin for M.V.M Cappelin & C.
By Compagnia Di Venezia E Murano (C.V.M.)
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Vetro Soffiato Centerpiece by Vittorio Zecchin for M.V.M Cappelin & C. A very large 'Vetro Soffiato' (mouthblown) art glass bowl designed by Vittorio Zecchin for M.V.M Cappelin & C....
Art Glass
Large Soffiato Footed Bowl by Vittorio Zecchin
By Vittorio Zecchin
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
Radiant 1920s Murano Soffiato Glass Compote by Vittorio Zecchin A stunning example of early 20th-century Italian glass, this vibrant red footed bowl or large compote was hand-blown i...
Art Glass
Coupe Reticello – MVM Cappellin (Italie, Circa 1930)
By MVM Cappelin
Located in NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, FR
Coupe Reticello – MVM Cappellin, Italie, Circa 1930 Cette superbe coupe en verre soufflé est une création de MVM Cappellin, l'une des manufactures les plus influentes de Murano dans les années 1920 et 1930. Réalisé selon la technique du Reticello, il se distingue par l'utilisation de cannes de verre alternées, créant un élégant motif en losange emblématique de l’art verrier vénitien. Caractéristiques : Fabricant : MVM Cappellin Année de production : Circa 1930 Origine : Murano, Italie Matériaux : Verre soufflé Technique : Reticello avec cannes de verre alternées À propos de MVM Cappellin Fondée en 1925 par Giacomo Cappellin après sa séparation avec Paolo Venini, la manufacture MVM Cappellin & C. s'est rapidement imposée comme un acteur majeur du design verrier à Murano. Basée au Palazzo Da Mula, elle a bénéficié de la direction artistique de Vittorio Zecchin, puis de Carlo Scarpa dès 1926. Ce dernier a apporté des innovations majeures, en modernisant aussi bien le design que les méthodes de production. Pourquoi choisir ce vase ? Patrimoine historique : Une pièce représentative du renouveau du verre de Murano dans les années 1930. Savoir-faire artisanal : Fabriqué avec des techniques traditionnelles raffinées. Élégance intemporelle : Un design sophistiqué et décoratif, idéal pour une collection ou un intérieur raffiné. ------------------- Reticello Vase...
Art Glass
Murano Glass Pocket Emptier, Italian Design, 1960s/70s, Mid-Century Modern
By Salviati
Located in Palermo, IT
A Murano glass tray, attributed to Venini or Salviati. It features an elegant white spiral design accented with gold thread. Murano glass featuring filigree or spiral designs. Histor...
Murano Glass
Very Large Vetro Soffiato Glass Dish by Vittorio Zecchin for Venini Murano
By Venini, Vittorio Zecchin
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Very large Vetro Soffiato glass dish by Vittorio Zecchin for Venini Murano ca. 1925 A very large 'vetro soffiato' glass dish in amethyst transparent glass, designed by Vittorio Zecchin in 1925 and manufactured by Venini, Murano Venice. Acid stamped signature 'venini murano' on the base. Venini model number 1306. The dish has been manufactured in different sizes, this is the larges version which is very rare. One of the early 20th century designs of Zecchin for Cappellin and Venini which motivated the muranese glass companies to set out for new shores. Good condition with some surface scratches. The last picture shows it together with a mid size version with 14.29" inches as comparison of the sizes. Measures: Height: 3.35" (8.5 cm) Diameter: 20.08" (51 cm) Literature Reference: Marino Barovier, Vittorio Zecchin: Transparent Glass for Cappellin and Venini, Milano 2017, pages 326, 336 and 357 Vittorio Zecchin (1878 - 1947) was a native Muranese and son of a glasswork technician. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. Together with the painter Teodoro Wolf Ferrari...
Art Glass
Murano Compote Bowl by Martinuzzi for Cappellin
By Zecchin Martinuzzi, Napoleone Martinuzzi
Located in New York, NY
Rare centrepiece bowl attributed to Martinuzzi for Cappellin (precursor to Venini) in the Soffiati technique. This example is in perfect condition, free of damage, chips, scratches, repairs or loss, it is unsigned. The bowl is tea colored with applied light blue trim. Hard to find early 20th century art glass...
Art Glass
