Venice, Murano, Murrine
“They adorned it, refined it, then they rendered it in compliance with the model transmitted from ancestors or to the free invention of the new creator. The human gestures were extraordinarily agile and light around those elegant creatures of the fire, the blown and the iron, like the gestures of a silent dance” / Gabrielle D’ Annunzio
Murano glass has for the past few centuries been the gold standard for the art of glassmaking. Originating from the island of Murano in Venice, this art has stood the test of time as it passes from generation to generation while maintaining its respect for traditions, the art of Venetian glassmaking and the history of the island. The beauty of the molded items is a testament to the extreme skill and true largeness of Murano glass with great attention to detail and a harmonic display of shapes and colors.
Murano glass masters depend on centuries-old methods and art techniques such as Millefiori, Sommerso, Reticello, Filligrana and Bullicante. Millefiori, also known as Murrine is arguably one of the most sought after styles of Murano glass making. The term means ‘a thousand flowers’ in Latin and is descriptive of the mosaic of multiple flowers painstakingly embedded into the glass.
Murrine glass making is a complicated multi-step process that requires a high level of expertise. Murrine beads are created by layering different colors of molten glass around a core, then heating and stretching it into a thin long rod. When cooled, the rod is hand-cut into small sections (murrine) revealing a unique pattern. Murrine can now be applied in the creation of other artworks and glass objects. There are endless murrine patterns - from simple geometric patterns through stars to multi-color flowers and other elaborate patterns - each murrine is one of a kind and so are the glass creations made of these tiny little pieces of art.
Should you enjoy the history of the Venetian glassmaking and admire the beauty of murrine glass, we'll make your trip to Venice shorter by offering a selection of scented candles housed in the original Murrine glass vessels ready for delivery to your doorstep.