The Barovier family from Murano, Italy, have been world leaders in glass production since the Middle Ages. The Company was founded in 1295.
Through their history they have invented many glass forms and techniques such as mother-of-pearl glass. In the XX Century Barovier designs became increasing innovative leading to collaborations with great designers such as Gio Ponti. It is no surprise that works by cofounder Ercole Barovier (1889–1974) can be seen in many museums worldwide.
Ercole Barovier began his movement towards Modernism in the 1930`s with his `Primavera` series of vases and animal sculptures; idiosyncratic milky-white & clear glass filled with tiny bubbles & hairline interior fissures. These were produced for Artisti Barovier, a firm headed by his father & uncle.
In 1939 the company merged with the Toso family to become “Barovier & Toso”.
Under the nearly 50-year artistic directorship of Ercole Barovier, the company created buoyant traditional pieces such as chandeliers & sconces. It pioneered an array of innovative modernist designs with bold colours, patterns & surfaces, such as the development between the 1920`s & 1940`s of iridescent crystal finishes for lighting & objects like on the famous "shell" bowls.
To appeal to gentler, more conservative tastes, Barovier Toso produced a range of lilting, sinuous lighting pieces that are often described as embodying. The hallmarks of the style in Barovier & Toso works are elements of glass in the shape of thick leaves, fronds and flower petals, deployed along with other naturalistic ornament in sconces, pendants and chandeliers.
In 1962 Queen Elizabeth II visited the company`s factory in Venice, solidifying their worldwide reputation.
A few years later, Angelo Barovier, Ercole`s son and successor, created the iconic `Taif` chandelier for the Saudi King Al-Saud’s new palace.
In 1991, the Barovier family appeared in the Guinness Book of Records, as the world`s longest-established family of glass-workers and has been ranked the 5th oldest Family Business in the world.
At Roomscape we often stock for sale antique & vintage lighting by various prestigious Italian manufacturers.
This vintage Barovier leaf chandelier (on the left) first appeared in our August 2014 Newsletter.
Each month we send out all our new stock arrivals and include a feature article like this one about Gaetano Sciolari. Fancy receiving our Newsletter in the future, just subscribe here.
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