What is Murano glass?
Murano is a small island in the Venetian lagoon. Venice moved its glass furnaces there in 1291, and the island has been famous for glass ever since. "Murano" describes where a piece was made, not a style, so glass made somewhere else in a Murano look isn't Murano, however pretty it is.
Murano glass is worked by hand at the furnace. Collectors know it for techniques like sommerso (layers of color cased inside each other), millefiori (slices of flower-patterned cane), latticino (white threads in clear glass) and aventurine (glittering copper flecks).
Does real Murano glass have a label?
Many vintage Murano pieces left the island with a paper or foil label naming the furnace or studio, and "Murano" or "Made in Italy." Most of those labels were washed off decades ago, so a missing label doesn't rule a piece out. A surviving original label is a big plus.
Read the wording carefully. Labels that say "Murano style" or "Murano type" are telling you it isn't from Murano. The Italian phrase "eseguito secondo la tecnica dei maestri di Murano" means "made according to the technique of the Murano masters," which describes a technique, not a place. And a plain "Made in Italy" sticker only says Italy. Italy has other glassmaking towns, Empoli in Tuscany among them.
Is Murano glass signed?
Some Murano pieces are signed on the base, usually engraved by hand or acid-etched, with the name of a furnace (Venini, Barovier & Toso and Seguso are well-known examples) or an individual artist. The signed Renato Anatra fish in our Murano collection photo is one of those.
Search any legible name. A real signature should match a real studio or artist, and the piece should look like their known work. Signatures can be faked, and plenty of modern souvenir pieces carry engraved names, so treat a signature as strong evidence, not a guarantee.
What is the Vetro Artistico Murano trademark?
Vetro Artistico Murano is a collective trademark created under Veneto Regional Law 70 of 1994 to protect glass made on Murano. The Veneto Region authorizes companies to put the trademark label on their pieces, working with the Promovetro consortium, after inspection.
Two things to know: it's a modern program, so vintage pieces made before it existed won't have the label, and companies opt in to it, so a genuine piece without it isn't automatically suspect. On a newer piece, though, a real trademark label is about as clear a sign of origin as you'll get.
Can you tell Murano from the glass itself?
None of these prove Murano on their own, but together they help:
- A pontil mark (rough, ground or polished) on the base of hand-blown pieces, where the glass was broken off the working rod.
- Clean, deliberate layering in sommerso, and crisp, well-placed cane in millefiori.
- Weight that fits the technique. Cased sommerso pieces are thick and heavy for their size.
- Small bubbles and slight asymmetry, which are normal in hand-made glass.
- No seams from a two-part mold, which usually point to pressed or machine-made glass instead.
Murano glass fish, birds and animals
Glass fish, birds and other animals are some of the most popular Murano pieces, and also some of the most copied. Many are made in sommerso, with bands of color running through a clear outer layer. Signed pieces by known artists draw the most interest, while unsigned animals are often souvenir pieces or look-alikes from elsewhere.
Before you buy, check the fins, tails, beaks and other thin points for chips, since that's where figural glass gets hurt.
Murano or Murano-style? How we label it
Our rule is simple. With an original label, a traceable signature or a trademark label, we'll call it Murano and show you the evidence on camera. Without any of those, we call it Murano-style and tell you why, even if it looks the part. You deserve to know which one you're bidding on.
Is Murano glass valuable?
Pieces from known furnaces and designers, signed artist work, complex technique and excellent condition bring the most. Plenty of unsigned and souvenir glass is affordable and still gorgeous in a sunny window. For current values, compare recently sold listings for the same maker and form, and for an important piece, talk to an appraiser who specializes in Italian glass.
FAQ
How can you tell if Murano glass is real?
Look for an original label naming a Murano furnace, a signature you can trace to a real studio or artist, or, on newer pieces, the Vetro Artistico Murano trademark label. Without those, a piece is safest described as Murano-style.
Is all Murano glass signed?
No. Plenty of genuine vintage Murano was sold with only a paper or foil label that has since come off. A signature helps, but its absence doesn't rule a piece out.
What does Vetro Artistico Murano mean?
It's a collective trademark created under Veneto Regional Law 70 of 1994 to certify glass made on Murano. It's a modern program, so vintage pieces won't carry it.
Is "Made in Italy" glass the same as Murano?
Not necessarily. Italy has other glassmaking centers, such as Empoli in Tuscany. A label has to say Murano, or name a Murano furnace, to point to Murano.