70
Enterprises
FROM THE WEDDING GOBLET OF 1450 TO MODERN-DAY MASTERPIECES
Above, different stages in the glassmaking process. Opposite page, Barovier&Toso Baikal chandelier (2007), with crystal pendants, twisted pastorals (with a heart of gold e mbedded in the crystal) and long gilded lamp sockets. The gold flakes in the glass enrich the effect.
68_73_Barovier&Toso4_ING.indd 70
Murano glass boasts a history dating back thousands of years. Its roots lie in a fertile culture of the matter. An ancient wisdom, handed down from father to son, combined with manual skills, in keeping with a renewed tradition that, whilst remaining loyal to its rules and rituals, is brought back to life by the mastery of its extraordinary interpreters. Undoubtedly, among these is the oldest dynasty of glass makers of the historic and prestigious furnace at Murano. For the Barovier family are descendants of the famous Angelo Barovier who, midway through the sixteenth century, created the clear, colourless yet priceless Venetian crystal. Its name is also associated with the highly refined wedding goblet, known as the “Barovier wedding cup”, made in around 1450 from transparent blue glass with gold and enamel decorations, and today kept in the Murano Museum. In an era closer to our own, namely the second decade of the twentieth century, Ercole Barovier (1889-1974) was gradually making his mark in the family business. Though he worked with it, he did not actually blow glass. Instead, he
chose to devote himself to technical research and experimentation, particularly when it came to preparing the material. This aptitude emerged with force in the Primavera glass vases, with their innovative milky, opalescent effect (1929-30). While this type of glass, a somewhat random result, could not be repeated, new trials prompted Ercole to perfect a technique known as “hot colouring without fusion” (1935-36), the result of which was a truly stunning series of magnificent creations. This procedure was used many times and always in new ways, which is evident even in the glassworks’ post-war production, always renewed and up-to-date. In 1942, following changes in the company structure, the glassworks became known with the present name of Barovier&Toso. In those years, Ercole Barovier revived the technique of glass “tesserae”, combining procedures from days gone by with new tastes. A tireless creator of styles and glass textures, he produced an impressive variety of outstanding reinterpretations. The Millefili series (in particular model no. 21689) was so significant that it earned him the Compasso d’Oro Award in 1956,
13/03/13 12.27