Is Murano Glass worth collecting? We say yes, without a doubt. Italian Murano Glass is special. It has unique and exquisite designs, which have attracted the attention of collectors and admirers for centuries. Its beauty and the intricate craftsmanship that goes into each piece set it apart from other artistic glassware. As such, Murano Glass is an art that is absolutely worth collecting.
To help you start collecting Murano glassware, we’ll tell you how to determine the value of a Murano Glass item, highlight the most various famous Murano Glass artists, and explain the modern trends in the art of Murano Glass. We will point you to galleries, museums, and collections featuring Murano Glass, and suggest the best places to purchase collector-quality Murano Glass art.
Collecting Is Understanding The Value
Collectible Murano Glass Goblet Sold By GlassOfVenice.com
Determining the value of a Murano Glass item can be a daunting task. There are many factors to consider, such as the piece’s age, rarity, and condition. To determine the value of a Murano Glass item, it’s important to first understand whether it is authentic Italian Murano Glass or a counterfeit produced elsewhere. Once you know that the piece is original and genuine, you need to understand if it is vintage or modern, Vintage pieces command much higher values.
Then examine the piece closely for any flaws or damage. Additionally, the signature of the artist can greatly impact the value of the piece. Some of the most sought-after signatures in Murano Glass include Archimede Seguso, Carlo Scarpa, and Lino Tagliapietra.
Murano glass from Italy has a long history and high value. Also known as Venetian glass, it is one of the world’s most beautiful and sought-after forms of glass art. Murano glass has a rich history that dates back to the 13th century. Amazingly, it continues to be produced in Murano, Italy, to this day. However, it was in the 16th and 17th centuries that Murano glass experienced a significant period of development and evolution. In this article, we will take a closer look at the special value of Murano glass and its history, with a specific focus on its development during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Murano glass has been around for more than 700 years. It has a rich history that is steeped in tradition and innovation. The glass-making industry in Murano began in the 13th century, and it quickly became a center for glass production in Europe. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the glass industry in Murano experienced a significant period of growth and innovation. During this time, Murano glassmakers developed new techniques and styles that are still used today.
Murano Glass enameled pitcher in Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
How Murano Glass Evolved
One of the most significant developments in Murano glass during the 16th and 17th centuries was the invention of Cristallo glass. Cristallo glass was a clear, colorless glass that was highly sought after by the wealthy and the aristocracy. The invention of Cristallo glass was a major breakthrough for Murano glassmakers. From that point, it quickly became the most important product produced in Murano. This translucent colorless glassware was highly valued for its purity, transparency, and brilliance. It was used to make a variety of decorative objects, such as chandeliers, mirrors, vases, and even window panes.
Another important development in Murano glass during the 16th and 17th centuries was the introduction of enamel decoration. Enamel decoration involved applying a layer of enamel to the surface of the glass and then firing it in a kiln to create a durable and colorful decoration. Enamel decoration was a popular technique in the Middle East. Like other foreign innovations, it was brought to Murano by Venetian traders. Murano glassmakers quickly adopted this technique and began producing colorful, enameled glassware. Glass with enamel decoration became popular among their rich customers and is still highly valued by collectors.
How to identify Murano Glass? We will explain how to make sure you buy an authentic piece of Murano glassware. First of all, you have to know that Murano Glass is only made on Murano Island in Venice, Italy. Ask for a certificate of origin, labels, or signatures to confirm this. Look for unique designs, rich colors, uneven shapes, and imperfect polish.
Here are the top five tips for the buyer to identify Murano Glass.
1. Inspect Colors and Design.
Authentic Murano Glass has rich colors and often real gold or silver specks inside. The color shades vary from item to item. When Murano artisans make glassware, they use various minerals to give color to the glass. As the glass mass gets heated, the minerals melt and create colors such as blue from cobalt, red from gold, green from iron, or pink from manganese.
Often the colors get layered on top of each other in a special technique called Sommerso. In addition, the masters often use thin sheets of gold or silver that get added to the glass mass and create a layer of gold or silver sparkles inside the glass. In a special demonstration of mastery, the artisan may create glassware that looks like a bright quilt of mosaic-like pieces, the ancient Roman technique known as Millefiori or Murrina.
Glass Of Venice Murano Glass Millefiori vase with 24K gold leaf
2. Look for Imperfections.
An authentic Murano Glass object has an imperfect shape, other small imperfections, or size and shape variations.
When masters create Murano Glass by hand, they do not use exact measurements or machines to create perfect shapes or perfect polish. Therefore, most Murano Glass pieces may come out slightly asymmetrical.
Many blown glass pieces will have bottoms with somewhat rough pontil marks where the glass piece was taken off the stick. Sometimes there are also bubbles of air trapped inside the glass. Two items of the same model may vary in terms of shape, size, color, or pattern.
This is the result of a very manual ancient process, where artisans use only basic tools. The masters take pride in following the techniques and traditions of their fathers and grandfathers. They work in small factories and workshops which have no production machinery or conveyor belts.
Murano Glass artisan making a vase in a glass factory in Murano, Italy
3. Are There Certificates, Labels, or Signatures?
Authentic Murano Glass often (but not always) has labels with the name of the workshop and the signature of the master. Look for these and for certificates of authenticity or origin.
If you see phrases like “Vetro Eseguito Secondo La Tecnica Dei Maestri Di Murano” beware: the item is a fake. The words mean “glass created following the technique of Murano masters”. As such, the item is not the glassware made by Murano masters but merely an imitation.
Watch out for words like “crystal” because Murano Glass is not crystal. If you see the Promovetro (Murano Glass Consortium) sign on the piece with a QR code, like the one on the photo of the blue Millefiori bowl below, the piece is authentic. If you see the name of the factory on the label, research where they are located to make sure they are selling authentic Murano Glass.
Authentic Murano Glass bowl millefiori and blue with Promovetro label and the master’s signature
4. Assess The Quality of The Store.
Authentic Murano Glass is typically sold in stores or on websites, which feature a large selection of high-end art glass items.
Check the product selection in a store where you plan to make a purchase, whether physical or online. If the store sells large gorgeous vases, sculptures, and recognizable typically Venetian pieces such as gondolas, clowns, Goldonian ladies and gentlemen, Millefiori glassware, as well as elaborate Venetian chandeliers, most likely this store carries genuine Murano Glass.
The inside of a Murano Glass store in Venice, Italy
5. Check The Knowledge and Reputation of the Seller.
Authentic Murano Glass sellers usually know the world of Murano Glass very well and are able to answer all your questions fully and honestly.
If you are unsure whether to purchase a piece, start a conversation with the seller or contact them by e-mail, chat, or phone. Ask them about the piece, the technique, and the glass-making process, and question them about the Murano Glass industry.
If their level of Murano Glass knowledge is low and they can’t explain much about the piece, it’s likely that they don’t sell genuine Murano glassware. On the contrary, if the store is open about its procurement process and answers all your questions in detail, they are most likely selling real Murano Glass.
Seller in Venice, Italy holding an authentic Murano Glass birds sculpture
About The Author
GlassOfVenice.com is an official original Murano Glass importer and seller and has been in business since 2008. Glass Of Venice works directly with over 40 different Murano Glass artisans, workshops, and factories in Murano, Italt. The management team visits the artisans often to maintain close relationships, curate collections, and review new creations.
Our customers from the UK frequently ask us where to buy Murano Glass in the UK. We can recommend several options for finding and buying authentic Murano Glass for UK residents, including Glass Of Venice website and Amazon.
Murano Glass store on Murano island, Venice, Italy
In looking for the best options to buy Murano Glass in the UK you need to weigh the following considerations:
Is It Authentic?
Make sure the glassware you are purchasing is authentic. This means it was made by hand in one of the established workshops on Murano island using the traditional methods and techniques. Please read our blog article to know how to make sure the piece you want to purchase is genuine Murano Glass. Unfortunately, many fake Murano pieces sold today are made in China. This is especially important if you are shopping at marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay, where lots of fakes are peddled as authentic Murano Glass.
What Is The Price?
The prices of genuine Murano Glass pieces vary widely. You may pay just a few British pounds for a pair of small Murano earrings or thousands of pounds for art glass pieces such as vases and sculptures. Lighting fixtures such as chandeliers may cost you several thousand pounds depending on the size. We advise you to comparison shop online and see what the prices are for comparable Murano Glass pieces. In addition, fakes are typically surprisingly cheap. Hence if you see a piece that is too cheap to be true, it’s probably fake. Read our article to understand how much Murano Glass should cost and how to pay the right price for the piece that you like.
Is There A Large Assortment?
There are a number of Murano Glass online stores. Most of them specialize in certain types of pieces, such as only vases and sculptures, only chandeliers and other lighting fixtures, or only jewellery. Find and compare several websites that carry the items that you want. Your best bet is to seek out a site that carries the full range of Murano Glass. Such sites will have the most extensive connections with the artisans and often the most experience shipping the items and the best prices.
How Much Is Shipping?
Because you are in the United Kingdom, you need to shop at an online store that ships to the UK. More over, look for reasonable shipping fees and coverage for any shipping-related damages. Once you add all the items to your shopping cart, start going through the checkout to see how much the shipping fees will be, and compare them to other sellers.
In addition, make sure that the seller will replace the items free of charge should they arrive damaged. Glass is fragile and it is very possible that your item may not be adequately packaged or may break from rough handling by the carrier. Also make sure you understand return policies of the seller and buy from those where return is easy and not overly expensive from the UK. At GlassOfVenice.com we ship to the UK every day and we always replace any items that arrive damaged promptly and free of charge.
Where is the seller based?
While the majority of online sellers of Murano Glass are based in Italy, there are a few including Glass Of Venice that are in the U.S. Some are in the U.K. The quality of customer service and communication, and of the buying and shipping processes will often be better when you shop from the US or UK online stores.
While the Italian stores are closest to the artisans, they will often have difficult replacement and return conditions and long lead times due to not having items in stock. At GlassOfVenice.com we keep all items in stock and ship everything within 24 business hours from purchase.
If you buy from Amazon or eBay ascertain first what seller you are actually dealing with and where they are based. Do not rely on the marketplace itself to take care of all the issues that may arise with your purchase.
Conclusion
If you are in the UK you have many options for buying Murano Glass and having it quickly delivered to your doorstep. Research the sellers, compare the prices, and find the pieces you like online. Good luck with your Murano Glass shopping!
Where To See Murano Glass Blowing? We’ll tell you how to find the best family-owned real Murano Glass factory where you can see the real glass-making, not a tourist show. If you get trapped into the tourist pitch, you will see a very basic short demonstration by someone who barely knows the craft, and will be quickly ushered into the retail area and encouraged to shop and overspend. To avoid this experience, we recommend a place where you can see the authentic glass-blowing process on Murano without any sales pitch.
How to avoid a tourist trap While there are many factories and workshops on Murano, there are also many that pretend to be factories, when in reality, they are merely showrooms. In order to get the best glass-making demonstration experience, a tourist must be careful and not get pulled into showrooms and retail stores pretending to be factories. Most places that offer demonstrations on Murano are just such retail locations. They often claim to be the only place where you can see a real Murano Glass demonstration and the items they sell are overpriced and often not authentic Murano Glass.
We also strongly recommend that you steer clear of hotel-sponsored trips to see Murano glass-making. And do not engage with people strategically standing near Vaporetto stops with signs on seeing Murano glass-making.
Where to see the real Murano Glass demonstration The place that we know well and recommend to our customers and all Murano visitors is located at Calle San Cipriano 48, 30141 Murano and is called Vetreria Murano Arte or VMA. For a small 3 euro fee, you can see real masters work in the real family-owned Murano Glass factory and create wonders of Murano Glass. The added benefit is that you don’t need to make reservations in advance or connect with an organization that will facilitate the glass-blowing demonstration. Just show up at your convenience and see the demo with no sales pressure.
How to get to Murano Island and see the glass making demonstration To see this glass blowing demo all you need to do is take Vaporetto to Murano from Fondamente Nove stop in Venice and get off at Murano Colonna stop. Then ignore all the people promoting demonstrations and holding up signs, get off the Vaporetto, turn left and walk along the embankment. In about 5-7 minutes you will reach Vetreria Murano Arte. The demonstration is open weekdays between the hours of 9am and 4pm. Children under 11 years all can see the demonstration free of charge.
Murano Glass Blowing is a mesmerizing process which takes its roots from Roman glass-blowing and has evolved over the centuries in the Venetian Republic and in modern-day Italy into a prominent art form. There are hundreds of workshops and small factories on Murano island, most family enterprises, where one or more maestro’s work with hot glass, assisted by a few helpers.
A typical factory has several furnaces where the artisans repeatedly heat up the glass mass to make it malleable. Once heated up, the master takes the glass blob on a metal rod to the special bench, where they work on the hot glass blob, while constantly turning the rod to make sure the shape stays and the glass doesn’t fall onto one side. The masters use very basic tools and instruments to cut and shape the glass, and it’s their precision, experience, talent, and fantasy that make their creations unique art glass pieces renown throughout the world.
To become a Murano Glass master, one has to start out working in a furnace as a child and work alongside an experienced maestro to learn all the tricks and secrets of this unique and ancient trade. The most talented artisans then develop their own manner and artistic style, becoming famous maestros in their own right. This old-fashioned way of learning is still practiced in Murano, and all the masters we work with at Glass of Venice have learned their craft in this way.
If this sounds interesting, the next time you are on Murano make sure to visit the real glass-making demonstration without the sales pitch, and then walk around Murano island at your leisure. Peek into stores and galleries and view the beautiful Murano Glass jewelry, vases, sculptures and figurines to see if anything attracts your attention.
If you find a piece that you’d like to purchase, make sure it’s authentic. If you are taking it along with you, ensure that it will be packed well for its voyage home. Otherwise, if you would like it shipped to your home, remember to take down the information about the store, the salesperson, and agree on all the specifics of shipping to avoid any surprises with regard to the shipping fees and timing.
Never! The short answer is Murano Glass cannot be made in China. It can only be made in Venice, Italy using specific methods and techniques used by Murano Glass artisans for over a thousand years.
Despite millions of people visiting Venice and Murano every year, unfortunately, there is still a lot of confusion about Murano Glass. To resolve any misunderstanding it is important to know what Murano Glass is. Murano Glass is glassware made by hand on Murano island in Venice, Italy, according to very specific ancient techniques and recipes that have been passed from generation to generation of Murano master-glassmakers. This glass can serve decorative, artistic, and functional purpose, and can be crafted into jewelry, accessories, figurines, vases, stemware, tabletop, and many other types of objects. In addition, Murano Glass is always made from local ingredients, which matters because the quality of key ingredients, such as sand, from Venice area is unmatched anywhere else when it comes to its use in glass craftsmanship. Now it is hopefully clear that Murano Glass can never be made in China, or anywhere else, besides Venice, Italy. The official consortium of Murano Glass companies established in Venice in 1985 requires that production factory of every member company be based on Murano island, and does not accept as members companies (even Italian ones) that produce their art glass outside of Murano. Art glass schools and traditions have been established outside of Murano as well, some more recently and some centuries ago, in places such as Bohemia, England, France, Sweden, Brazil, and more recently Asia. However, none of them can match the creativity, technical know-how, and creative talent that have consistently been the hallmarks of authentic Murano Glass. Murano Glass masters were the first ones in the world to recover and evolve the methods and techniques of glass-making using glass-blowing, molds, small flame, used by the ancient Romans, and turned glass-making into an art form. While there are many beautiful art glass pieces produced outside of Murano, Murano Glass is characterized by the degree of lightness, color depth, aesthetics and artistic design unmatched anywhere else. Perhaps because of confusion about the word Murano, and whether it stands for a geographic location, a type of glassware, or a brand, many people do not realize that Murano Glass should indeed be Murano-made and cannot come from any other places such as China.
Online marketplaces feature thousands of unscrupulous sellers who peddle various non-Murano glass pieces as Murano, or call them Murano-style to avoid potential liability. Many of such pieces are in fact made in China and have nothing to do with authentic Murano Glass. Be careful shopping for Murano Glass online or in-person, and peruse our exclusive comprehensive guide on how to recognize authentic Murano Glass and avoid fakes. This guide is available here: How Do I Know If A Murano Glass Item Is Genuine?
Murano Glass is beautiful and unique with hundreds of years of artistic tradition behind it. Venetian masters learned from the ancient Roman artifacts and from Byzantine and Egyptian artisans to create masterpieces of blown glass using many different complicated and labor-intensive techniques, such as Millefiori, Sommerso, Bullicante, Filligrana, Lattimo, and others. Unfortunately as Murano Glass masters became famous beyond Venice so spread the fakes. Known as “A la façon de Venise” (or “in Venetian fashion”) glass pieces imitating Murano were made as early as the 16th century in Netherlands, England, France and later Bohemia and other parts of Europe. The very latest fakes are now coming from Asia, China in particular, and flooding the market to the extent that real authentic Murano pieces become harder and harder to find.
We at GlassOfVenice.com love Venice and support Venetian artisans, many of whom come from the long lineage of Murano glass maestros going back to the Middle Ages. Authentic Murano Glass still trumps all the fakes with its exquisite craftsmanship, gorgeous colors and amazing designs that Italian artisans are well known for. Here is our exclusive quick guide to how to avoid being cheated and always select genuine Murano Glass handcrafted in Venice. Murano stands for more than fine craftsmanship – it’s art, tradition, Venetian memories, and rich cultural and artistic heritage of La Serenissima. Get a real piece of Murano Glass – you’ll be glad you did!
It is rare to see the very best of artistic Murano Glass created by prominent Venetian artists outside of Venice, let alone in the United States. For a short time this May and June all lovers and collectors of Murano Glass in the United States can enjoy a wonderful exhibition of Murano Glass Art at Bellarmine Museum of Art at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. The exhibition features 33 beautiful glass art pieces by Giampaolo Seguso, a member of the renowned Seguso dynasty—a family which has been crafting glass on the island of Murano for over 600 years! The legacy of glass work goes back twenty-two generations in the Seguso family, and has garnered them international acclaim.
The pieces on display are each accompanied by a poem by Giampaolo Seguso himself, which reflects of the meaning of existence, nature, and beauty, merging together Seguso’s gifts for visual, as well as verbal arts. It is so rare to capture beauty in one medium, but Seguso ambitiously endeavors to capture it doubly, creating something new and profound. The name of the exhibition, La Ragnatela, is Italian for “spider web,” referring to Filigrana technique of glass-making invented on Murano in the 16th century. This complex technique uses glass canes that are positioned parallel to each other and then melted together so as to create delicate spiral or web-like patterns within the glass. Seguso was so enchanted by the endless artistic possibilities offered by Filigrana technique that he authored the book, La Ragnatela, published in 2001, which is the culmination of his research and personal application of the Murano Filigrana technique. Like all in-demand artists, Giampaolo Seguso and his art have traveled the world, holding exhibitions in Norway, Germany, and Brazil.
La Ragnatela presentation can be visited at the Bellarmine Museum of Art at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. This exquisite exhibition opened its doors on April 10th and will continue to wow the collectors and those interested in Murano Glass until June 13, 2014, so make plans to see it soon.
It is a new year and a new chance to win something beautiful from GlassOfVenice! Our Murano Glass giveaways proved wildly popular over the years. No wonder, it is a win-win: our customers and admirers love a good deal and we are happy to keep the passion live by gifting our artistic beautiful pieces. So we are announcing OUR NEXT MURANO GLASS GIVEAWAY which we are now running on Facebook.
If you are in the United States get a chance to win a beautiful 18mm Murano Glass Millefiori Pendant in gold-plated or silver frame (your choice) absolutely free by becoming our Fan on Facebook and taking part in our January Murano Glass Giveaway. The giveaway will be running for one week concluding on January 29th at 11:59 PM EST. If you are the lucky winner, you will see for yourself how wearing one gets you many compliments every day.
Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to US Residents only with Facebook accounts. You must become our Fan on Facebook and complete the Mandatory Entry to be eligible. This giveaway started on January 22nd and will close on January 29th, at 11:59 pm EST Time. To enter click on Murano Glass Giveaway and follow directions on the page. The winner will be contacted by e-mail at the conclusion of the Giveaway. Good luck!
About Murano Millefiori
Millefiori (known in Italian as Murrine) is an ancient glass-making technique invented by the Romans around the 1st Century B.C., then lost, and subsequently rediscovered by the talented Venetian glass masters in the late 15th Century. Millefiori technique is a labor-intensive multi-stage process. The first step is the creation of the special thin glass rods with various multi-color star- or flower patterns inside. These rods are then cut into little mosaic-like pieces called Murrine, which are assembled by hand into various designs and are used to cover molten glass completely as it is being blown and shaped. The hot glass objects covered in small Murrine are then put into special furnaces where the Millefiori pieces fuse together under high temperatures to form intricate colorful quilt-like designs, which fascinate and dazzle.
Who doesn’t love a good deal? Especially in the middle of cold and dreary winter. Oh well, maybe not as cold as they have in Europe, where the Venetian canals are covered in ice, but still we thought our U.S. and Canada readers could use a chance to break the ice this winter with one of the hundreds of famous colorful Millefiori pendants available on our website. A Millefiori pendant is probably the most famous and easily recognizable piece of Murano Glass Art. Now you can get one absolutely free by taking part in our Giveaway, and, if you are the lucky winner, you will see for yourself how people get instantly attracted to it. And the best part is you get to select your free pendant from the many 23mm Millefiori pendants in gold-plated or silver frame that we offer on our website.
Rules for Millefiori Pendant Giveaway from GlassOfVenice.
Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to US & Canadian Residents age 18 or over. You must complete the Mandatory Entry to be eligible. This giveaway will start on February 21st and close on March 5th, at 11:59pm EST Time. Please read our Rules before entering. Please leave a separate comment with your email for each entry that you complete.
Mandatory Entry – Earns 2 Entries – Visit our site GlassOfVenice and comment on this Blog Post which item you like the most!
Bonus Entries: (complete after fulfilling the Mandatory Entry) All Entries will be verified!
Earns 2 Entries: Become GlassOfVenice Fan on Facebook Earns 2 Entries: Follow @GlassOfVenice on Twitter Earns 2 Entries: Subscribe to Glass of Venice Blog Earns 5 Entries: Write up your own post about this giveaway along with live links to http://www.GlassOfVenice.com and post it on your blog (leave link) Earns 1 Entry Daily: You can copy and paste the following Tweet over on Twitter once per day. (leave status link)
Copy & Paste Tweet:
#Win Millefiori Murano Glass Pendant from @glassofvenice Enter @glassofvenice Ends 3/3 http://bit.ly/zcFNlr US/Can #giveaways #handmade #jewelry
