Venetian Glass Books

[drabkin]

Can you recommend a good book or two about Murano Glass?

[fossilfly]

There are a bunch of good books out there for collectors, with different approaches to the subject.

For a historical view, try both Murano Magic (http://books.fossilfly.com), by I. Clark Gable and Murano Glass Museum (http://books.fossilfly.com)by Attilia Dorigato, aptly named because it is a companion guide for the Murano Glass Museum.

From a collectors standpoint, there are many books about specific houses, but for a broader overview:

Marc Heiremanns has written 2 books:

Murano Glass - Themes and Variations (http://books.fossilfly.com), (1910 - 1970) and (1910-1869)

and also try

Barovier Mentasti's, Venetian Glass 1890-1990 (http://books.fossilfly.com)

and
Leslie Pina's Italian Glass Century 20 (http://books.fossilfly.com)




Charlie

[publius71]

I found a new book about Murano Glass that has not be published yet, but will be ready for October 2005, and is written by Rosa Barovier Mentasti. For fans of AVEM glass, it is probably a great reference, but is expensive as most art books, approx $75.


Following is a excerpt from Amazon:

Early in the 20th century the Venetian island of Murano reestablished its dominance in the world of art glass by mixing traditional craft with the innovative design of modern artists and sculptors. Anzolo Fuga, a multi-faceted talent born into a glass making dynasty, played a prominent role in this Venetian glass renaissance. "Anzolo Fuga: Murano Glass Artist" features never seen before spectacular glass objects created by the designer for A.V.E.M. - Arte Vetrario Muranese (Murano Art Glass House)from 1955 to 1968.

About the Author
Rosa Barovier Mentasti was born in Venice into one of the oldest Muranese glass working families. She has been the curator or co-curator of mant prestigious exhibits in Italy and abroad since 1977. Aside from writing articles for numerous magazines and reference books, Mentasti is the author of two important works: "Venetian Glass from the Middle Ages to Today" (Milan, Electa, 1982) and "Venetian Glass 1890-1990" (Venice, Arsenale, 1992).

[redgreenblue]

If one was to start building a library to collect Italian glass from the 30's ,40's, & 50's what would be the top ten books to stock in the aforementioned library?? ............... thanks kindly, Craig :rolleyes:

[publius71]

If one was to start building a library to collect Italian glass from the 30's ,40's, & 50's what would be the top ten books to stock in the aforementioned library?? ............... thanks kindly, Craig :rolleyes:


Welcome to the forums!

Most of the books mentioned here are Murano specific, so for a broader Italian glass perspective you may want to check out:

Italian Glass: Murano Milan 1930-1970 : The Collection of the Steinberg Foundation by Helmut Ricke, Eva Schmitt.

There are many books specific to a particular manufacturers as well (Venini, Toso), and you are only interested in one or two mfrs, you might want to go with one of these.

[fossilfly]

I had this in another thread, so I figured that I would add it here as well.




http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/1930000/1938986.gif (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9788886502566&userid=160trb5C28)

http://images.barnesandnoble.com/gresources/cleardot.gif
http://images.barnesandnoble.com/gresources/cleardot.gifAnimals in Glass: A Murano Bestiary
Marina Barovier

Paperback, February 1997
Publisher: Canal & Stamperia Editrice
ISBN: 8886502567

[publius71]

Here is another book and a short writeup from the publisher:

Art Glass from Murano
Author Marc Heiremans
Publisher: Antique Collectors Club Ltd
Format: Hardcover



This book presents 290 masterpieces of art glass from the most famous and admired of the Venetian glassmakers working in Murano in the 20th century. The pieces come from the archives of the Murano firms, museums and private collections all over the world. Each piece is fully illustrated in stunning color photographs supplemented with numerous detail shots and original design drawings. Detailed descriptions of each work provide a wealth of information on the diverse glass techniques and technical refinements achieved by the individual artists and manufacturers. Covered in depth are 17 of the most important (both technically and artistically) glass producers in Murano over the 60 year period from 1910-1970, the renaissance of Venetian glass artistry.


However, an independent review noted that the book could be better. Check out the review in Amazon for the full writeup.

[publius71]

I was browsing a bookstore this weekend and found this book, and bought it used for $35. For Venini collectors it is an excellent resource, as it offers the whole range of items made by Venini since the 20's from figurines to chandleiers.

One thing that I found very interesting was the inclusion of the catalog bleu which is essentially a draftsmans blueprint of many of the works made by Venini over the years, and was something that I was not aware of. A common criticism of art glass books is that many of the featured pieces are never found outside a museum or a private collection. While this many be true for some of the items in the book, it is expansive enough to encompass Venini glass more frequently encountered for sale. This alone is a positive aspect of the book. The author also does a good job in explaining the role Venini has played in Murano, and gives a detailed history of the island and how external forces shaped the island and the glassmakers.

Overall, worth buying! :)


Below is the excerpt from the publisher:

Book Description

Venini. Catalogue Raisonné 1921-1986 offers an in-depth account of the involving company history of the glassworks set up by Paolo Venini in 1921 and carried forward by members of the Venini family up until 1986, the year in which the business was sold off. Alongside the comprehensive catalogue containing some 250 descriptions detailing each item produced in over six decades of activity, the book's curator Anna Venini Diaz de Santillana has traced the history of the 'Vetrerie Venini' glasshouse through each successive master craftsman's term as art director: Napoleone Martinuzzi, Carlo Scarpa, Paolo Venini himself, Tomaso Buzzi, Fulvio Bianconi, and Ludovico Diaz de Santillana.

The careful analysis underlying each critical essay and the breadth of topics covered make this book an invaluable reference work on the creative enterprise and outstanding achievements of Venini & C., long acknowledged as an international hallmark of quality in the applied arts.

With its rich array of illustrations and catalogue of the firm's key production items, and an extensive reference section comprising glossary, bibliography, and list of exhibitions, this book is the most exhaustive directory of the Venini glasshouse's production. In addition to the renowned Catalogo verde and Catalogo rosso, the curator has included the legendary Catalogo blue, and essential reference source for historians, collectors, dealers, and connoisseurs of art.


Product Details

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Skira; 1st ed edition (June 1, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN: 8881186519

[fossilfly]

Whitehouse Books has a great list of available book about Murano glass, including rare and limited publication auction catalogs. Here is a list:

http://www.whitehouse-books.com/home/italianglass041205.htm

or just visit their homepage:

http://www.whitehouse-books.com

[spartina]

Thanks all for the input.

I think I will pick up Marc Heiremanns or Leslie Pina's book. They are pricy, but seems to have gotten good review all around.

[fossilfly]

Marc Heiremans, author of other books on Murano Glass has published a new book, "Seguso Vetri D'Arte: Complete Catalogue Since 1933" available January 1, 2006. The reail price willbe around $85 US (?) , and here is more info on the book. Although I have not seen the book, it promises to be another book that collectors can refer to often, as with his other books!

Hardcover: 300 pages
Publisher: Arnoldsche Verlagsanstalt GmbH (January 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 3897901625

[fossilfly]

Found this in todays NY Times, it was listed as a recommended design book.
Heres a link to the complete article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/15/garden/15book.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1134659029-AWDExCadXSSN0PhfGbElyg


Three years ago hundreds of forgotten vases and platters from the 1950's and 60's patterned with swirls, stripes, dots or grids turned up in dusty storage at a dying Venetian glass factory. Many were fashioned by Anzolo Fuga, a staff artisan whose ancestors had been glassworkers since the 1330's. "Anzolo Fuga: Murano Glass Artist" (Acanthus Press, $75), by the Venetian glass historian Rosa Barovier Mentasti, explains how Fuga achieved kaleidoscopic effects with bubbles in molten glass, sprayed enamel and gold and interwoven glass rods. The book is a rare example of clear prose and exacting research in the emerging field of midcentury modern design scholarship. (A retrospective of Fuga's work runs through Feb. 28 at Lobel Modern, 207 West 18th Street, lobelmodern.com (http://lobelmodern.com/).)



Im going to have to check out the show!

[fossilfly]

I just picked up a new book on ebay for $10 and recommend it if you are a fan of Zanafirico, filigrana, mezza filigrana and reticello glass. These techniques, which can be loosely grouped as “Filigree” are some of my favorites, so the purchase was a no brainer for me.

The title of the book is:

La Galleria de 99
Glassworks and Poetry of Giampaolo Seguso

and was written by Rosa Barovier Mentasti, the noted Murano glass scholar and author.

The books sole focus is on Giampaolo Seguso’s 1999 collection, all made with some sort of Filigree technique. Each of vases or sculptures on the full color plates are part of a very limited series of 99. Although one of these pieces may never make its way into my collection, the design and technique in each piece is amazing. The book also has a very well researched and developed history of Filigrana and Reticillio, dating back over 800 years. There isn’t an ISBN number, as the book was published by Neiman Marcus specifically for the collection.

Well worth the money if you find it on Ebay!

Charlie

[glassman]

The title of the book is:

La Galleria de 99
Glassworks and Poetry of Giampaolo Seguso

and was written by Rosa Barovier Mentasti, the noted Murano glass scholar and author.

Im going to keep an eye out for it on Ebay! Thanks for the recc!

[fossilfly]

Marc Heiremans, author of other books on Murano Glass has published a new book, "Seguso Vetri D'Arte: Complete Catalogue Since 1933" available January 1, 2006. The reail price willbe around $85 US (?) , and here is more info on the book. Although I have not seen the book, it promises to be another book that collectors can refer to often, as with his other books!

Hardcover: 300 pages
Publisher: Arnoldsche Verlagsanstalt GmbH (January 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN: 3897901625

FYI, For some reason, this is still not available, either on Amazon or at other booksellers. I think its release may have been delayed.

[publius71]

Below are a few reviews of "Through a looing glass, darkly" a mystery novel that takes place in Murano, I haen't read it, but it supposedly has had good reviews. If you are looking to have some summer reading with Murano included, this may be it!

From Publishers Weekly
Last seen in Blood from a Stone (2005), Commissario Guido Brunetti investigates a murder on Murano, the famed island of glassmakers, in Leon's assured 15th mystery starring the cynical yet diligent Venetian policeman. Has a worker, found singed to death in front of a blazing furnace, been killed because of his environmental activism? Or is this a family feud between the factory's owner and his "green" engineer of a son-in-law? As usual, Leon educates the reader about the charms and corruptions of Italian life (the sensuality of the architecture and food, the indolence and stagnation of its bureaucracies), besides presenting a crash course in 21st-century glass-making. Every character, every line of dialogue, every descriptive passage rings true in a whodunit that's also travel essay, political commentary and existential monologue. And the middle-aged, happily married Brunetti remains unique—an everyman who's also extraordinary: "During his early years as a policeman... people still argued about whether it was right or wrong to use force during an interrogation.... Now they argued about how much pain they could inflict." (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Leon's Guido Brunetti novels have been justly celebrated for their nuanced portrayal of Venice and their character-driven emphasis on human relationships. Both of those attributes are displayed nicely in her latest effort, the fifteenth in this long-running and much-loved series. When police commissario Brunetti and his assistant, Vianello, help out one of Vianello's friends, who has been arrested in an environmental protest, they find themselves embroiled in a family feud involving the friend's wife and her father, the owner of a centuries-old glass factory on the nearby island of Murano. No actual crime takes place until the novel is nearly half over, and even then, the death of a night watchman at the glass factory appears accidental. More than ever in this series, the emphasis here is not on mystery--the bad guy is obvious from the beginning--but on ambience and character. Leon delves deeply into the fascinating world of Murano glassmakers, and as always, she lingers lovingly over Brunetti's family life and the commissario's abiding empathy with everyone he encounters. Satisfying as always, but the lack of an engaging mystery plot leaves a bit of a hole this time. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

[fossilfly]

FYI, For some reason, this is still not available, either on Amazon or at other booksellers. I think its release may have been delayed.


I do not believe it is available, either on Abebooks or Amazon. I checked the publishers website, and it makes no mention of the book that I could find. Anyone have any more info? I would be interested in this book if or when it comes out.

[fossilfly]

From another thread: Leslie Pina's book on Archimede Seguso is on pre-sale now at Amazon.com. There is a $20 discount on the price (plus free shipping :-). It was on my wish list, so I just placed my order. I believe it came to a total of $44. The book is not due for delivery until March. I'm looking forward to getting the book in hand.

[spartina]

Im going to pick up the book as well. I have always liked Archimede Segusos work, I have 2 of his pieces, and this book will rekindle my interest again I'm sure.

[fossilfly]

This was brought up in another thread, there is a guide book specific to Murano, rather than being a part of a general guide book for the entire Venice region. It is recently published (2007) and although written only in Italian at the moment, it is expected to be translated into English this year also. The ISBN number is 8872002710

[Ofilia_Cinta]

Hello, here are a couple of wonderful books for your library if you do not already have them:

http://modulo.tinet.it/vianellolibri/freecol/ITA/catalogo.asp?LINGUA=ITA&RIC=murano

The little blue Murano guide book is only available in Italian at the moment, but is due out in English later this summer. This is a MUST HAVE!! It not only mentions all the masters on the islands, but also the tiny tucked away furnace places of Murano, complete with a map to lead you to them. Buying at factory prices can save you quite a a lot if you take the time to meet your artesans and maestros.

Ofilia

Just an update, thought the above website does not yet reflect this book being available in English, IT IS!!!!!! My friend who just came to visit from Venice brought me a copy just fresh off the presses and in the shops over there last week. IT'S WONDERFUL! Never did I imagine there were so many tiny touristic and hospitality places tucked into all the nooks and crannies of the island. A MUST HAVE book for any Murano officionado.

Better yet, VISIT Murano and get a taste of the old and see where the new is going. We cannot let those who still persue this traditional lifestyle vanish to extinction. The art form is alive and vibrant in this quiet and unpretentious setting;>)

Ofilia

Here is a better direct link: http://modulo.tinet.it/vianellolibri/freecol/ITA/catalogo.asp?LINGUA=ITA&RIC=murano Just in case it switches back to the other page, just type "MURANO" in the search box. Sorry..... I've written to these folks to see if this book is available in the States, but no response yet. It cost 19 euro in Murano and worth every cent!! The map alone of the furnace places tucked away off the beaten path is priceless. The B&B's one would have not know about.....SO MUCH in this tiny book!!

[fossilfly]

I have been planning to write a review on the Monograph, "Italian Import Glass of the late 50's" since I purchased it last month.

The 35 page monograph, sold by The West Virgina Museum of American Glass, is reasonably priced at $12.50 on their ebay store.

The booklet devotes it's attention to the overlooked glass made by most of the companies populating Murano outside of Barbini, Salviati, Venini, whose catalogs and works have been the subject of multiple exhaustive books during the last 50 years. Rather, this monograph, turns an eye towards the "everyday" Murano glass, pieces that may not have been made by one of the expensive well known furnaces, but pieces specifically made for export abroad, at a reasonable price range.

One of the companies that has appeared on the radar of Murano collectors in the past few years as a desirable collectible is the works of the J.I. Co or Jordan Importing Company. The monograph dedicates approximately 40%-50% of its pages to this company, with examples from its mid 50's wholesale catalog for many of its vases, figurines, clowns and other glassworks. Since all the pages are copies from their wholesale catalogs, the (wholesale) pricing of the items is visible and amazingly inexpense by todays prices. A slogan than is repeated frequently by the J.I. co ads is "Venetian Glass-Priced for promotion!", pushing the point that while it is Venetian glass, it isn't high end, limited edition glass.

The booklet also has a few pages from the previously know Weil Import Group who was known to import Barbini glass among others.

An importer from the 50's which I was not aware of is Mottahedeh, is still in business, but not importing any glass from Murano, is also represented with primarily tableware, along with the Vincent Lippe Corp with vases and ashtrays.

Ashtrays are well represented in the monograph, which is appropriate, as they were much better sellers during the 50's and 60' than they are today. Murano ashtrays are considered less valuable by many collectors now due to the decrease in smoking by the general public; today's focus is on more vases and figurines.

For Murano clown collectors, the monograph has 3 pages of Murano clowns,(Including decanters) which will assist collectors, as there always seems to be less information available than there should be considering the popularity of Murano clowns. Also includes Blackmoors and courtesians, which suspiciously look like pieces made by Barovier.

Overall, the monoigraph is money well spend, especially since the price is so reasonable. A drawback to the very reasonable price is the quality of the photocopies, which aren't the greatest. I'm assuming they are making copies of copies, but on some of the images the contrast is way too high, making it difficult to determine the features of the items.. I would like to see an second version of the monograph in color in the future if available.

Overall, a resource for collectors looking to expand on their knowledge of "value" Murano glass, at a reasonable price.

[fossilfly]

I found this thread on the Hotglass forums, and thought it would be helpful for collectors of millefiori paperweights and other items that have a signature cane. (A signature cane is often a murrine placed in the glass that signifies the designer or manufacturer. Like a birth mark.)

Heres an excerpt:

The Dictionary of Signature Cane Inclusions; Paperweights, Beads, Buttons & Marbles, has over 1650 color close up illustrations of the signature and date canes used by 363 antique and modern artists and factories from 1843 through 2007, plus those canes which might be confused as signature canes or which are fakes. The PDF format book has 850 pages, all color illustrations, short biographical and anecdotal sections on each artist and factory with an abundance of interesting information, a comprehensive questionnaire for judging the value of unsigned pieces, extensive bibliographies of paperweight, bead, button and marble reference sources for further research, and an extensive index listing all known initial and date canes. There is also a comprehensive value guide, an extensive listing of pontil markings as well as acid etch markings, and 100 full page photos of millefiori paperweights from about 50 different makers to be used as a millefiori identification guide.
Will be $35 plus the shipping. Will be listing a bunch on ebay Sunday evening the 26th of August. Can be reached at addg[at]juno[dot]com.

More info here (http://glasswizzards.yuku.com/topic/368)

[fossilfly]

Does anyone have any info on this new book,
"Henry Thoreau: Murano, Behind the Glass" by Maurizio Barberis?

It was published in 2007, and I believe it's a photo essay of Murano, but am not a 100% certain.