Murano

When it comes to décor, few things feel as covetable and mysterious as Murano glass. Dating back to the 13th Century Venice, Murano glass production was shrouded in secrecy for centuries to prevent the threat of duplicates from entering the market. To keep the recipe top secret, the Venetian government ordered that Murano glass production be moved to the isolated island of Murano in 1291. To this day, furnaces located on Murano Island continue to produce the world’s most pristine examples of Murano glass, including Murano glass vases, Murano glass bowls, artistic glass chandeliers, and more. Among the traits that make Murano glass most compelling are the sheer number of forms and appearances it can take on. Compared to other glass, Murano glass is remarkably thin, making it highly reflective to light and capable of holding intense color. It can also be heavily manipulated, and takes the addition of substances such as gold flakes, stones, or air (which creates bubbles) incredibly well. Among the most common techniques used in Murano glass factories today is sommerso, created by designer Carlos Scarpa. Typically used to create Murano glass bowls, the sommerso technique involves submerging molten glass of one color into a vat of another colored glass. The two-tone effect gives many of Murano’s iconic bowls their double-layered appearance. Murano bowls and Murano glasses aren’t the only collectibles, of course. Among the more unique collectibles the brand is known for are Murano paperweights, Murano fish, Murano flowers, and even Murano clowns!