PAOLO VENINI, a Milanese lawyer and an immensely talented designer and visionary, founded his glassware company on the island of Murano in 1921 with Giacomo Cappellin, a Venetian antique dealer. The partnership split, but Venini set up shop on his own in 1925, and her one of the few Italian manufacturers of applied art invited to exhibit at the landmark 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. Venini & Co—which still exists today—is credited with reviving Italy’s highend glass industry, most notably during the 1930s. Paolo Venini brought modernist, forward thinking designers to his workshops in Murano where he paired them with the island’s skilled artisans, revolutionizing glass design. Iconic and enduring designs were created that continue to be collected today, including the Fazzoletto (handkerchief) vase seen above. Designed in partnership with the company’s artistic director Fulvio Bianconi in 1948, the Fazzoletto brings to mind a floating, falling handkerchief. Known as one of Venini & Co’s most popular designs, it has been made in a wide range of colors using various techniques. This small pink and white Fazoletto vase is made in zanfirico glass, an Italian style of cane decoration referred to as filigrana (filigree). The piece, manufactured between1949 and 1950, is signed “Venini Murano Italia” and has an original full paper label.

Murano glass Fazoletto (handkerchief) vase, along with many other examples, available through Svazzo Arts on 1st Dibs, 1stdibs.com.