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Aureliano Toso - In 1938, Dino Martens, a painter from Murano, became artistic director of Aureliano Toso Vetri Decorativi until 1965. The colorful painterly works were totally original and greatly respected at the time. They are highly collectable today. The pieces are not signed, and many reproductions have been made. The company is still in business and now producing glass parts for lighting.
Dino Martens - (1894-1970) was a painter and designer whose organic abstract shapes and bright garden-like colored patterns captured “all that is exciting about the 1950’s.” Aureliano Toso manufactured Martens’ designs from 1946 to 1963. Some collectors consider his work to be the most important because of his radical designs, including distinctive asymetrical shapes. His oriente series feature brightly colored areas with a powdery texture, usually turquoise, red, yellow, and white; and a “fiore” (flower) that actually looks more like a starfish-shaped murrine, usually in black and white. The oriente pieces are not transparent, and also include glittery aventurine areas. The Geltrude vase, also known as the “face vase” is an oriente vase with an abstract face on one side. The Eldorado series are a darker version with deep colors that are transparent, and have and incredible rich look. The zanfirico pieces have twisted candy like patterns made of zanfirico canes in pastel colors. All are highly collectable, and also highly reproduced (you see crude versions all over the new glass shops in Murano) so buyers should take care and purchase from a reputable dealer.    Photo Credits: |
