Aureliano Toso, Murano

AURELIANO TOSO, Murano.
Vase. Italy, ca. 1939.
Clear Murano glass decorated with polychrome glass rods in shades of turquoise, red, and white.
Signed “Toso, Murano” on the base.
In good condition, with slight signs of wear consistent with its age.
Measurements: 26.5 cm high; 16 cm in diameter.

Particularly interesting due to its early date, this vase dates from the early years of Aureliano Toso, a glassworks founded in Murano in 1938. Its creation thus falls within an early phase of intense technical and chromatic experimentation, immediately preceding the firm’s participation in the 22nd Venice Biennale in 1940, where it presented a collection of blown glass works with a sculptural character in the Decorative Arts Pavilion. Aureliano Toso’s presence at the Biennale would continue in subsequent editions, consolidating its position within the renewal of 20th-century Murano glass.

The piece stands out for its use of thin rods of colored glass, integrated into the glass mass and worked while hot to create a continuous spiral movement. This technique requires careful control during the blowing process to maintain the definition and regularity of the lines. The result combines technical precision with a striking visual effect, featuring a design that seems to envelop the form and multiply through the transparency of the glass. The shades of turquoise, red, and white intensify this dynamic rhythm and accentuate the piece’s luminosity.

Aureliano Toso founded his workshop in Murano in 1938 and soon became part of the renewal process that was transforming Venetian glass. His participation in the Venice Biennale is documented as early as 1940 and continued in the editions of 1950, 1956, 1958, and 1966. The studio would later engage in intensive experimentation with color, rod work, and other traditional techniques reinterpreted through a modern sensibility. Its work is extensively represented in the collection of the Corning Museum of Glass, which holds numerous pieces from the studio.