Murano Glass Suspension Lamp by Barovier & Toso, Italy

Partnerships come and go within the community of glass-making artisans on the Venetian island of Murano, where business relationships seem as complex as the shifting alliances in the notoriously acrimonious Italian parliament. Formed in 1942 by members of families with centuries of experience in the craft, Barovier&Toso has proven to be one of the most enduring and prosperous Italian glass manufactories of recent decades. Under the nearly 50-year artistic directorship of cofounder Ercole Barovier (1889–1974), the company created buoyant traditional pieces such as chandeliers, sconces and other lighting fixtures, and it pioneered an array of innovative modernist glass designs with bold colors, patterns and surfaces.

The Barovier dynasty began in 1295, when Jacobello Barovier, mentioned in historical documents as a master glassblower, began pinching, cutting, blowing and twisting a molten mixture of sand and minerals into incandescent works of art. It remained entirely family-owned until the mid-20th century, when it merged with another glassworks to become Barovier&Toso.

To appeal to gentler, more conservative tastes, Barovier&Toso produced a range of lilting, sinuous lighting pieces that are often described as embodying “Liberty Style” — the Italian term for Art Nouveau, taken from the name of famed London department store Liberty & Co., which promoted 19th-century organic textile designs and Arts and Crafts-style furniture in the manner of William Morris. The hallmarks of the style in Barovier&Toso works are elements of glass in the shape of thick leaves, fronds and flower petals, deployed along with other naturalistic ornament in sconces, pendants and chandeliers.

Ercole Barovier began his personal aesthetic transition toward modernism in the 1930s with his Primavera series of vases and animal sculptures — idiosyncratic milky-white and clear glass filled with tiny bubbles and hairline interior fissures that he produced for Artisti Barovier, a firm headed by his father and uncle. Later, with Barovier&Toso, he would explore such novel styles as the mosaic-like Pezzato glass; fluid Spiral patterns; the pebbly textured Barbarico line and the complex, layered and highly colored abstractions of the Oriente series of vases and bowls.

Traditional or modern, Barovier&Toso — still under family control — has produced one of the finest and most diverse catalogues of Murano glass in the last 100 years.

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Founded in 1295 on the island of Murano in Venice, Barovier&Toso is the world's oldest glassmaker, proudly continuing its tradition from its historic Venetian headquarters. The company's mission is to craft high-end decorative lighting —both classic and contemporary— that are timeless and unique masterpieces. Each creation is crafted from Venetian mouth-blown crystal and handcrafted by master artisans in Murano, who preserve an age-old tradition passed down through generations. Renowned for their distinctive design and exceptional craftsmanship, these creations combine technology and artistry to offer timeless elegance and beauty. Barovier&Toso collaborates with an exclusive network of showrooms, interior designers, and lighting visionaries to bring exceptional solutions to life, enhancing elegant residences, luxurious hospitality venues such as Four Seasons, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, and Bulgari, as well as flagship stores of iconic luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, and Cartier.