Fossilfly Imports – Murano Glass Blog

Crossposting from the Forums, we are pleased to announce that Promovetro, the current Murano Glass Consortium (www.muranoglass.com) and successor to the Vietri Murano (VM) program, shared a list of Vetri Murano numbers that they have compiled.

For  readers who are not collectors of vintage Murano glass, Vietri  Murano used a clear plastic label with a specific numbering sequence to identify which member company on the island made a particular piece of glass, to prevent counterfeiting.  Vietri  Murano eventually closed, taking with it all of their documentation and records.  Today, the VM label is a reliable way of identifying vintage glass, but there has been discussion over the years on which number belongs to which company.  Members of the forum have taken the time to research many of the numbers, but holes remained. The information provided by Promovetro will help collectors worldwide.

Below is an example of a Vietri Murano label.

The forum thread about the Vietri Murano numbers is here and the  Murano Label Library has many other labels and signatures.

A slideshow of some of the most recent work by Murano’s prodigal son, Dale Chihuly, currently exhibiting at  the Foothills Art Center, in Golden, Colorado.  The “Gilded Putti in Leaves with Swan”  and “Translucent Blue Putti Venetian with Gilt Leaves and Dragons” are impressive and seem to be a new,  softer direction that recalls some of the traditional glass themes of Murano.   The vases are a eclectic mix of both old and new styles,   for example a  spiked vase design seen in previous exhibits, but adorned with with a cherub.

The exhibit runs through June 30th.

If you don’t frequent the forums, you may not be aware of how difficult attributing Vintage Murano glass can be at times.  One of the best ways to identify a particular piece of glass is via a label or signature, which easily identifies an artist or company, and gives a rough idea of when it was made.

Despite the amount of books on the subject, many times a signature or label has remained unidentified.   Over the past few years, in an effort to
better collaborate and share, collectors have been contributing photos of signatures and labels for the Murano Label Library which just passed a milestone of more than 200 images!

Thanks to all who have contributed images and knowledge!

Just added a new set of Murano Paperweights, made by some of the best regarded paperweight artisans on the island!  Graduations and Fathers Day is just around the corner, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Some good news, I was recently interviewed for an article in Antique & Auction News, about identifying fake or misidentified Murano Glass and the forums are prominently mentioned. It was just published today. The article will be online until the 2nd.

What’s In A Name – Identifying True Murano Glass

Thanks to everyone on the Murano Glass Forums boards whose expertise, knowledge and ideas I have come to rely upon. Without their comments and research, this would not have happened.  The interview lasted about an hour, and I realized that it wasn’t nearly enough, but I would say that the author took pains to ensure that the article was correct. Any errors or omissions are most assuredly mine

This is a few months old, but funny nonetheless.  Jennifer Connelly recounts her visit to Murano and Jimmy Fallon’s warped sense of humor and timing is great. I posted it in the forum, but not on the blog.

http://www.aoltv.com/2011/01/12/italy-glassblowing-lost-in-translation-jennifer-connelly/

Doh! Its been a while since I posted, but life sometimes gets in the way.  I am trying to be more aware of posting more frequently, but promise to only post relevant items.

In this vein, I set up a Twitter account that automatically sends a tweet when a new forum thread has been created.  I have a habit of posting interesting articles in the forum and not cross posting on the blog, but I will start making concurrent postings for readers that don’t always visit the forums.   I will also be tweeting more frequently about  blog updates and anything else related to Murano or Venice.

We will be adding  a great selection of new paperweights, millefiori pendants to complement some of the new pieces added to the accent plate collection.  They should all be up by the end of the week after being photographed.

We hope you enjoy them.

For some time I have wanted to set up an additional forum for buying and selling Vintage Murano glass, in order to give back to the forum members who  offer their knowledge and research freely.

The formal posting guidelines are still in the works, but the forum is currently up and running for buying and selling!

Interested in a guided tour of Murano?  On Tuesdays and Thursdays the Glass Museum in Murano is offering a guided tour, aptly named “from the Museum to the Furnace“.  The package  consists of a  guided tour of the Murano Glass Museum, followed by a glass blowing demonstration at the renowned Scuola del Vetro Abate Zanetti for only 15 euro!

For more information call  84 80 82 000; from abroad +39 041 42730892 or  email info@fmcvenezia.it.

Visit the livinginveniceblog for a more detailed writeup.

Enjoy!