In 1219, the Venetian government banned furnaces from central Venice and changed the course of history for the island of Murano. This served two purposes: 1. protect the wooden infrastructures of Venice, and 2. protect the secrets of the glassblowing community. With the furnaces relocated to Murano, an island off the coast of Northern Italy, the glassblowers relocated as well.

In a time when glass was one of the most precious commodities, the glassblowers were considered the equivalent of royalty - kind of. While they received certain privileges like wearing swords, they also lived under the perpetual threat of execution if they revealed glassblowing secrets. As one can imagine, these tight regulations allowed the government to control and influence one of the most vital industries. To tighten it even further, they declared that any workers who left the island were forbidden to return to Murano's glassblowing industry. This declaration put a stop to any outflow of secrets and skills from the island.

Due to this control, Murano glass is world-renowned for its technical skill and extravagant style. Surprisingly, neither has changed much since its inception. The above chandelier was handmade using the same traditional, blown glass techniques as was established in the 1200s.

We find that early antique lighting was designed as objects of art and we treat each fixture with careful attention to preserve original beauty. Our fixtures are cleaned, rewired, and restored & are ready to hang, following UL standards. We can work with you on code requirements.

$150.00 shipping within the continental United States. (arms & decorative leaves & flowers dissembled, shipped in two boxes)
International shipping also available. Please contact us for a quote.

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Architectural Antiques will consider reasonable offers.
Be sure to include the Product ID (AA#49150) when making your offer.