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All auctions / Glass / Barovier & Toso - Ercole Barovier - Bottle - Diaphanous Graffiti - Murano glass
Here is, in this moment, an exceptional example of Murano glass art from the 20th century: a large collectible bottle with its original stopper, designed by the legendary Ercole Barovier for Barovier & Toso glassworks. The piece, datable to around 1960, belongs to the famous series "Graffito Diafano" (or simply Graffito), one of the most refined and ethereal techniques developed by the master. The bottle stands out for a sculptural, quadrangular-section form with softly chamfered corners, giving it a soft monumentality typical of Italian Mid-Century Modern design. It is crowned by a substantial mushroom-style stopper that reiterates its stylistic features. The execution technique is the "Graffito Diafano." This complex process involves immersing threads or powders of milky glass (opalescent white) inside a mass of perfectly transparent crystal. During the blowing, the material is deftly moved to create an internal design of festoons, waves, or regular "graffi" that seem to float in nothingness. The result is an object that plays with light: it is never fully transparent nor fully opaque. It is a "white on white" that changes appearance depending on illumination, evoking the texture of silk fabric or a cloud trapped in glass. • Producer: Barovier & Toso (Murano, Venice). • Designer: Ercole Barovier (1889-1974). • Period: about 1960. • Signature: Hand-signed under the base with diamond point: "barovier & toso murano". • Dimensions: Height about 31 cm • Condition: Excellent vintage condition THE CREATOR: ERCOLE BAROVIER (1889-1974) Ercole Barovier was not only a designer, but one of the most influential figures in the history of global glass. A descendant of a dynasty of glassmakers, he took the artistic direction of the company in 1926 and held it for almost 50 years. Unlike many of his contemporaries who designed only shapes, Ercole was a brilliant amateur chemist. He spent days in the laboratory experimenting with new mineral compounds to obtain colors never seen before. He invented revolutionary techniques such as the "Primavera" (milky crackled glass that became a worldwide success), the "Rostrato," the "Crepuscolo," and the "Barbarico." The Graffito series represents his mature phase (the 1950s–60s), characterized by a return to essentiality and purity, in line with the architectural modernism of the era. THE FACTORY: BAROVIER & TOSO Barovier & Toso boasts an incredible lineage: it is one of the oldest family-owned companies in the world still operating. The Barovier family has been registered in the Murano glassmakers’ guild since 1295. Over the centuries, the Barovier family invented the "Venetian Crystal" (Angelo Barovier in the Renaissance). In 1936, the merger with the glassworks of Brothers Toso gave birth to the current brand, combining the artistic flair of the Baroviers with the productive capacity of the Tosos. Possessing a Barovier & Toso piece means owning a fragment of 700 years of Venetian history.
Estimate:£685.69
To the auctionEstimate:
£685.69
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KLÄDGALGAR, 6 stycken, trästomme klädd med tyger av Josef Frank.
04/22/2026
£194.84
Est: £121.19
