Case Study

In 1921 Milanese lawyer Paolo Venini and Venetian antiquarian Giacomo Cappellin founded “Vetri Soffiati Cappellin Venini & C.”, Vittorio Zecchin immediately decided to join, in the role of Artistic Director. Since then the company makes blown glass and hand-worked masterpieces by combining art, colour, quality, uniqueness and artisanship.

To become a master glassmaker, one has to learn how to blow glass with grace and fluidity, creating objects that appear pure and seamless. The Otto collection (2010) takes the archetypical cylindrical glass vase and redefines it as an elegantly curved form. Modelled after the number 8, the Otto's rim is left open to reveal multicoloured layers that shift in the light. Otto is available in three sizes. A limited edition, in pastel hues, was sold at Venini stores.

Arillo (2010) is a collection of opaline vases that draw on this rich history of the Murano island. Crafted by master glassblowers using traditional techniques, the vases, like Venice itself, are influenced by both East and West: their light-catching vertical stripes evoke the shimmering patterns of Venetian beads, while their rounded form echoes the iconic shape of the Chinese lantern.