Wright Auction

This exceptional private collection is one we hold dear, as it was assembled by someone we admire greatly and with whom we have worked closely for over a decade. With a focus on Murano glass of the 1950s and 60s, this collection is composed almost entirely of masterworks by Fulvio Bianconi and Ercole Barovier. True visionaries, Bianconi and Barovier defined the post-war years on the island of Murano, using color and form to express the exuberance of the day.

With a focus on Murano glass of the 1950s and 60s, this collection is composed almost entirely of masterworks by Fulvio Bianconi and Ercole Barovier.

We are presenting this collection in two parts—a decision based solely on the strength of the material—as we want to give each work a chance to be seen and understood. Selections have been made carefully and with the goal of demonstrating a dialogue between two post-war masters.

Acting as artistic director for Venini in the 1950s, Bianconi was one of the most prolific designers in the company’s storied history. Trained as a graphic artist and illustrator, Bianconi brought a strong sense of color and form to the furnace. Experimenting brilliantly with the vessel as canvas, he made the most of the freedom afforded him by Paolo Venini, who encouraged his sense of playfulness and imagination. Bianconi’s genius is on full display in this collection with Pezzato and Fasce works in a variety of esoteric forms, an iconic Bikini vase, a wonderful Con Macchie vase, and a magnificent Scozzese model rarely seen on the market.

It is an unusual and thrilling experience to encounter a collection so brimming with exceptional examples, and rarer still to find a collector so devoted to exploring the work of only two designers.

During these same years, Ercole Barovier was enjoying his role as director of Barovier (a position he held for an unprecedented 40 years) by experimenting endlessly with the idea of color and pattern. Using tesserae—pieces of colored glass, both transparent and opaque—Barovier created a body of work like none other. As a counterbalance to the more abstract designs of Bianconi at Venini, Barovier played with the permutations of linear structure, producing vessels of extraordinary complexity and precision while always celebrating the unique properties of the material itself. Built with great attention to beauty and technique, this collection of Barovier tesserae vases, too numerous to mention here, is one of the finest ever to appear on the market.

It is an unusual and thrilling experience to encounter a collection so brimming with exceptional examples, and rarer still to find a collector so devoted to exploring the work of only two designers. It has been an honor to watch this collection grow and a great pleasure to present it to our fellow Italian glass enthusiasts.