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Barovier & Toso is an Italian company that specializes in
Venetian glass Venetian glass () is glassware made in Venice, typically on the island of Murano near the city. Traditionally it is made with a soda–lime "metal" and is typically elaborately decorated, with various "hot" glass-forming techniques, as well as ...
. In 2006, Barovier & Toso recorded $18 million in sales, three quarters coming from exports. As of November 15, 2018, Rinaldo Invernizzi is serving as President of the “world’s most antique glass works”.


History

The company is one of the oldest family businesses in the world, founded in 1295 as Barovier. The name Barovier derives from the term berroviere (highwayman/policeman), which indicates the armigero (person entitled to bear arms) guarding the captain of the people. It is probable that some Barovier, originally from Treviso, settled in
Murano Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy. It lies about north of Venice and measures about across with a population of just over 5,000 (2004 figures). It is famous for its glass making. It was o ...
around 1291, when a law of the Republic imposed the concentration on the island of all glass furnaces." Jacobello was the first member of the Barovier family to work glass at this time. It is thought that the company originated in
Treviso Treviso ( ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 87.322 inhabitants (as of December 2024). Some 3,000 live within the Venetian wall ...
. The Toso family had been established in Murano since around 1350. In the 1400s
Angelo Barovier Angelo Barovier (, in Venice – 1460, in Venice) was an Italian glass artist. Raised in a family with a long tradition of glass working, Barovier was certainly the best-known member and significant for uniting the knowledge passed down for gene ...
created glass objects which are currently preserved in various museums. Angelo is recognized as significant for uniting the knowledge which had been developed and handed down by the Barovier family. He was not only considered and artist but a scientist.


20th century

The company became Ferro Toso Vetrerie Artistiche Riunite S.A in 1936 when Vetreria Artistica Barovier merged with Ferro Toso, specializing in crystalline glass, mother-of-pearl glass, and gold-free
cornelian Carnelian (also spelled cornelian) is a brownish-red mineral commonly used as a semiprecious stone. Similar to carnelian is sard, which is generally harder and darker; the difference is not rigidly defined, and the two names are often used inte ...
red glass.. In 1942, the company was renamed Barovier & Toso. In 1919–1920, 30 year old designer Ercole Barovier began a 50-year career as the artistic director of Barovier & Toso. "After studying medicine and working as a radio operator during
World War One World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...
he joined the family firm in 1920 when he and his brother Nicolo took over the management from their father Benvenuto. From 1927 Ercole was the main designer and from 1934, when Nicolo left the company, (he was) also the sole owner." While Barovier did not have formal training as a
glassblower Glassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble (or parison) with the aid of a Blowpipe (tool), blowpipe (or blow tube). A person who blows glass is called a ''glassblower'', ''glassmith'', or ''gaffer'' ...
, his artistic designs produced objets d'art that have become the most critically acclaimed in the history of Ercole - Barovier. In 1930 he produced his award-winning “Primavera” series."The ''Primavera'' series ... is distinguished by a milky white ''' craquelé''' glass with the addition of black or blue ''pasta vitrea'' trim ("opaque colored glass whose consistency is made to appear like ceramic") and decoration. There was a very limited production of this series because it was a result of a glass mixture obtained accidentally so it could never be replicated." One example of this series, a Primavera Pigeon, was sold at auction for GBP 275,000 (approximately $360,000 USD, not inclusive of the buyer’s premium) on October 16, 2019. Barovier continued to produce innovative designs of which the “Lenti” vase series is an example. “Lenti” was produced in 1940. This vase was a dual ‘layer’ vase. This type of vase is sometimes referred to as 'cased'. “Cased glass combines glass layers of contrasting color, or a colored layer blown with a clear one. The interior layer is, in effect, encased in the exterior … Looking into the interior of a cased object will reveal a color different than that of the exterior. One of the first known examples of cased glass, the
Portland Vase The Portland Vase is a Roman glass, Roman cameo glass vase, which is dated between AD 1 and AD 25, though low BC dates have some scholarly support. It is the best known piece of Roman cameo glass and has served as an inspiration to many glass an ...
, dates from the reign of Roman emperor
Caesar Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in ...
.” The first outer layer of the Lenti vase consisted of a series of clear thick convex semi-globular forms in which small thin leaves of pure gold are suspended. The inner thin layer of the vase was made of a brightly colored glass. The clear outer portion of the vase reflects the color of the inner vase while creating an
optical illusion In visual perception, an optical illusion (also called a visual illusion) is an illusion caused by the visual system and characterized by a visual perception, percept that arguably appears to differ from reality. Illusions come in a wide varie ...
 (due to the magnification effect of the convex shaped glass) of large ‘moving’ gold leaves. This series was produced in colors that vary and include cerulean blue, aqua blue, emerald green, lime green and crimson red.


Innovations

Barovier & Toso, under the direction, of Ercole Barovier, won awards during the 1940s and 1950s for innovations in the
murrine Murrine (singular: murrina) are colored patterns or images made in a glass cane that are revealed when the cane is cut into thin cross-sections. Murrine can be made in infinite designs from simple circular or square patterns to complex detailed d ...
technique. Murrine technique begins with the layering of colored liquid glass, heated to 1500-1700F or above, which is then stretched into long rods called canes. When cooled, these canes are then sliced in cross-sections, which reveals the layered pattern. A -inch high vase created by the Murrine technique by Ercole Barovier and described as a “1930, clear murrines (vase) edged in red with aventurine” was offered at auction on May 20, 2014. "Prior to sale estimates from the auction house gave an anticipated value of $ 15,000 - 20,000 (USD). The final bid was $ 317,000 (USD) not inclusive of the buyer’s premium. Buyer’s premium at fine art auctions houses will generally add an additional 20-25% (of the final winning bid amount) to the final total price.


Location

The company is located in the Palazzo Contarini in
Murano Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy. It lies about north of Venice and measures about across with a population of just over 5,000 (2004 figures). It is famous for its glass making. It was o ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. In 2018, the headquarters of Barovier & Toso underwent a total internal renovation.


Notable customers

* The chandelier in the dining room of the
Hôtel de Besenval The Hôtel de Besenval is a historic ''hôtel particulier'' in Paris, dating largely from the 18th century, with a ''Court of honor (architecture), cour d'honneur'' and a large English landscape garden, an architectural style commonly known as ''en ...
, the
Embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a Sovereign state, state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase ...
of the
Swiss Confederation Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerlan ...
in France, was purchased from Barovier & Toso in 1962 on the initiative of Ambassador Agostino Soldati.Jean-Pierre Samoyault: ''L'Hôtel de Besenval – Ambassade de Suisse en France,'' Editions internationales du Patrimoine, Paris, 2017, p. 125 * In the early 1990s, Barovier & Toso manufactured the chandeliers in the
Hassan II Mosque The Hassan II Mosque () is a mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. It is the second largest functioning mosque in Africa and is the List of largest mosques, 14th largest in the world. Its minaret is the world's List of tallest minarets, second tallest m ...
in
Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...
.Death in Venice
''Economist.com'', 22 November 2007


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barovier and Toso 1295 establishments in Europe 13th-century establishments in the Republic of Venice Companies established in the 13th century Companies based in Venice Glassmaking companies of Italy Murano Venetian glass Henokiens companies