Murano glass chandelier by Barovier & Toso, Italy, 1940s

Elegant Murano glass and brass chandelier, designed in the 1940s by Ercole Barovier for Barovier & Toso, the oldest glassworks in the world still in operation, founded in 1295 and specialising in luxury Murano glass pieces. All elements are made of hand-blown Murano glass: a ceiling rose that lives up to its name, with a very floral appearance and wavy edges, extended by a long twisted stem, a hexagonal ring-shaped structure held by two brass sleeves, and at the centre of the ring, two opposing glass leaves with a hammered and grid-like texture typical of "a forma di stampo" glass (the master glassmaker blows the still hot glass inside a metal mould). A refined piece, where the twisted lines of the structure contrast with the sculptural volume of the glass leaves, typical of Ercole Barovier's naturalistic aesthetic. In very good overall condition. Electricity checked and functional. Dimensions: H80cm, W43cm (leaves: 23x19cm).