Barovier & Toso

The Baroviers, pioneers of Murano glass, revived mosaic techniques and shaped Venetian artistry. As Barovier & Toso, they united tradition and innovation for more than a century.

As one of Murano’s most prominent glassmaking dynasties, the Baroviers played a pivotal role in reviving traditional glassmaking techniques and can thus look back on a long tradition within Venetian glass production. With their distinct feel for glass as a material, their outstanding technical know-how, and their drive towards new developments, Giovanni Barovier and his nephews Benedetto, Benvenuto, and Giuseppe Barovier went on to set up their own business at the close of the 19th century. Their revival of mosaic glass (murrine) had a long-lasting influence on Murano’s glass production. Operating under various names—and then from the 1930s in association with the Toso brothers—yet always maintaining a distinctive artistic style, they continued to lead the field until artistic production ceased entirely in 1993. This extensive volume illuminates not only the history of Barovier & Toso but also its complete body of artistic work, spanning nearly a century.