Aureliano Toso, Italian 1960s Luxury

Aureliano Toso Murano glass chandelier with 144 glass discs, dating from 1960 and in very good condition. The 15 suspension arms are made of brass and, apart from some light tarnishing, are in almost perfect condition. The chandelier is suspended from a solid chain with a decorative cup at the top, and all components of our Aureliano Toso chandelier are original. See similar objects.

Dimensions:

• Glass discs: 8.7 × 6 cm

• Chandelier diameter: 60 cm

• Chandelier height without chain: 55 cm

• Total height with chain (can be shortened): 110 cm

A bit of history:

Aureliano Toso was born in Murano in 1884 and died there in 1979. He began his career in the family business Fratelli Toso, but in 1938 he established his own workshop, Vetreria Aureliano Toso. From the very beginning, he worked with designer Dino Martens, who at the time had already established a solid reputation.

In the beginning, Toso’s first important experiments took place at the research station – XXIII. Venice Biennale – where he presented works that combined contrasting colours, including distinctive spiral-shaped glass with coloured inclusions. Another particularly significant project was “La bottiglia del mago” from 1948, which was exhibited at the historic Murano glass exhibition during the Venice Biennale in 1952.

Between 1946 and 1960, Dino Martens developed, together with Toso, a remarkable series of objects – often unique or limited-edition pieces – with bold and innovative designs. At the same time, Martens continued to explore traditional Murano techniques, but adapted them to create innovative effects through coloured glass. He also experimented with bold, asymmetrical forms that were technically demanding to produce, many of which today are considered iconic examples of mid-century Murano design.