Murano glass millefiori vase Fratelli Toso

Antique millefiori vase with handles. Murrine millefiori glass on a cobalt blue base, manufactured by the Fratelli Toso glassworks in Murano in the early 20th century. Composed of polychrome murrines in green, blue, yellow, red, and white. Surface with a glossy finish and rough texture typical of the early periods of this glassworks. The vase is an example of Murano art glass from the 1910s-1930s. A small chip on the edge of the neck reveals a flake of cobalt blue glass underneath. On closer inspection, a micro-crack can be seen on the lower part. Both defects are barely visible due to the multicolored and textured appearance of the object (see photos). Other small manufacturing defects (roughness) are due to the old manufacturing technique. Fratelli Toso was one of the leading manufacturers of Murano art glass in the 20th century. In the early 1900s, the Fratelli Toso brothers began producing glasses using the murrine technique. Murrine and millefiori glass remained one of the brothers' main areas of activity. In the 1960s and 1970s, Renato Giusto and Rosanna Toso designed series of modern cristallo glasses for Fratelli Toso. The company closed in 1982.