Venice. The name
connotes all things beautiful, delicious and decadent, so it’s no surprise that
some of the most sought after glass in the world comes from one of the islands
in the lagoon: Murano. It is also no
secret that starting in the 16th century, another island, Burano,
was the center of lacemaking in Europe.
So what happened when a Murano glassmaker patterned Burano
lace onto his piece? A technique called merletto (lace in Italian) was
born. Today, it’s one of the chicest patterns
found in Venetian glass.
Archimede Seguso’s merletto
pieces from the 1950s are particularly looked upon as some of the best and are
today highly collectable. Do I have to explain?
The examples here are as modern in 2012 as they were in the 1950s,
likely because of their stunningly simple design. Their intricate merletto pattern is not an easy feat and each of the pieces
featured today has something very special about them.
Don’t let the simple hour-glass figure of the red/orange
vessel distract you. Upon closer
inspection, you can see 2-colored glass threads in white and blood red decorate
the vessel which depending on the light, will cast off a delightful red or
orangish color. The second vessel is dynamically
twisted at the base and is partially covered in intricate purple woven threads
on a clear background. The last piece is
divinely pure and elegant; its fine yet dense pattern mostly resembles the lace
from Burano.
I love finding something marvelously beautiful and
unexpected as merletto and I invite
you to think of it next time you think of purchasing vintage glass. As you can see, placing a group of three
together like these surely makes for a classy statement of taste.
image credits: Primavera Gallery, New York. The exemplary pieces above are from their
inventory.
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