Antique millefiori bowl with handles, Fratelli Toso Murano ca. 1920s

A small millefiori murrine glass bowl with two handles manufactured by Vetreria Fratelli Toso, Murano around 1900. Made of polychrome murrines in blue and white which are melted together. Surface with acid etched matte finish. The bowl is an authentic example of early 20th century Murano art glass. It was part of a large Fratelli Toso glass collection with over 600 pieces collected since the 1970s. Fratelli Toso was one of the leading art glass manufacturers of Murano in the 20th century. In the early 1900s Fratelli Toso started to produce glasses in murrine technique. Murrine and Millefiori glasses remained a major product field of Fratelli Toso. In 1912 a very successful series of liberty inspired art glasses, designed by Hans Stoltenberg Lerche, was presented at the Venice Biennale. From 1936 Ermanno Toso became artistic director. He brought the Millefiore glasses to a new level. A big success were also the 'Stellato' and 'Cattedrale' murines vases designed between 1948 and 1964 by the artist Pollio Perelda. In the 1960s and 1970s Renato Giusto and Rosanna Toso designed modern cristallo glass series for Fratelli Toso. The company closed in 1982.