FRATELLI TOSO, Murano, Italy, ca. 1960.

FRATELLI TOSO, Murano, Italy, ca. 1960.
Brutalist ceiling lamp.
Patinated metal and smoked glass with twenty Laguna glass panels in bluino and opalino tones.
In working condition.
Measurements: 110 x 140 x 140 cm.

An exceptional ceiling lamp created by Fratelli Toso around 1960, a piece that synthesizes the sculptural power of the Brutalist style with Murano’s extraordinary glassmaking tradition. Its design stands out for its monumental patinated metal structure, with a distinct architectural geometry, which supports a composition of smoked glass panels and twenty Laguna glass elements in delicate bluish and opaline hues. The layering of the different glass planes creates an attractive interplay of transparencies, textures, and reflections that transforms light into a sculptural element of great visual richness.

The lamp is an excellent example of mid-20th-century Italian lighting design, a period when Murano’s glassworks renewed their international prestige by combining traditional artisanal techniques with the new aesthetic languages of Mid-Century Modern. The structural simplicity of the metal is a hallmark of its contrast with the organic expressiveness of the molded glass, which achieves a balance between solidity, lightness, and sophistication that makes the piece a true sculptural element.

Founded in 1854 by the six Toso brothers, Fratelli Toso played a pivotal role in the revival of Murano’s artistic glassmaking. While in its early years the firm revived historical models from the Venetian tradition, during the 20th century it stood out for its constant technical and aesthetic innovation, particularly for perfecting the murrina technique, which became one of its defining hallmarks. Under the artistic direction of Ermanno Toso, from the late 1920s through the late 1960s, the workshop developed some of its most refined creations, exploring new forms, textures, and lighting solutions that established Fratelli Toso as one of Italy’s most prestigious glassmakers and solidified its presence at major international exhibitions.