This group of murrine vessels is part of a larger collection assembled by a New York collector during the early 1990s. Most were designed by Renato Toso for a series of international trade exhibitions held throughout Western and Central Europe between 1961 and 1965, including shows in Turin, Lisbon, Venice, Rome, Monza, Bordeaux, Metz, Frankfurt, West Berlin, London, Belgrade, Ljubljana, and many others.
The Fratelli Toso firm had been producing murrine vessels since the early 20th century, but in the postwar period, the Tosos (Renato, Ermanno, and Giusto) developed new murrine designs and vessel forms that were compact, colorful, visually dynamic, and reflective of the exuberance of the postwar years. Although these pieces were featured in numerous exhibitions, they were produced in limited numbers, making this the first time a significant collection of important examples is being presented at a single auction.
It is also worth noting that during the late 20th century, Fratelli Toso reissued several large-scale murrine pieces based on these designs. However, this group of compact, gem-like vessels was created during the vibrant and innovative period of the early to mid-1960s.
