ELLE Decoration (UK)

THE LOWDOWN ON MURANO GLASS

Lighting is the jewellery of the home, and in this trinket box of a property only the best would do. We take a closer look at this Italian export

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Where is it from? The island of Murano in Venice, Italy. The area has been a hub for glassmakin­g since 1291, when the Venetian glass masters were ordered to move their foundries to Murano because the authoritie­s feared that a fire caused by their furnaces would destroy the city’s wooden buildings. How is it made? The dominant ingredient is silica sand, which is heated in a furnace until it liquefies. As it cools down, makers shape the glass, either by blowing air through a long tube or using iron tools. What makes Murano glass so special is the techniques used to create it, such as murrine, where coloured liquid glass is layered and stretched into long canes and sliced to reveal the pattern. Murano’s famous millefiori (multi-coloured) glass is created by adding small amounts of minerals to the silica sand. For example, aquamarine is made by adding copper and cobalt compounds to the mix.

When did Murano become famous for lighting?

Its glassmaker­s began to produce chandelier­s in the 18th century. Known as ciocca (‘a bouquet of flowers’), they were a huge success and became the grand lighting of choice for palaces and theatres. Often, the chandelier­s are technicall­y complex: many feature lots of colours, which are mixed and heated separately. One of the boldest mid-century makers of chandelier­s was Dino Martens, a painter-turnedarti­stic director at the Aureliano Toso foundry. What are the brands to know? A handful of companies have been making Murano glass for centuries: Seguso, since 1397 (seguso.com); Salviati, founded in 1859 (salviati.com); and Venini (venini.com), which was establishe­d in 1921. One of the most famous contempora­ry glass artists is Venetian Massimo Micheluzzi. Where can I buy Murano glass? The island is a 20-minute water taxi from Venice, and once there you can visit showrooms, foundries, and the Murano Glass Museum, which has the largest historical collection of Murano glass in the world. For vintage lighting and other Murano glass products, try dealers such as Alfies Antiques Market (alfiesanti­ques.com) and 1st Dibs (1stdibs.com). Always remember to look for the official Murano glass trademark symbol – find it at muranoglas­s.com.

This page Examples of Murano glass lights in the house Dining room The floor is made from book-matched ‘Imperial Gold’ marble from Antolini Luigi and the bespoke mahogany table is inset with triangles of antique mirror. The chairs are by Philippe Hurel and the chandelier is by Barovier & Toso Stockist details on p290 ➤

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