Beasts
Since the Middle Ages Muranese blowers have created lively animal forms in glass. Sometimes whimsical, sometimes beastly, these animals have become famous worldwide.
In 20th century Murano glass we see a wide variety of animals. Some are amazingly expressive and executed with great mastery, others with none at all.
Beginning in the 1920s, two of Murano’s most famous glass designers, Napoleone Martinuzzi and Ercole Barovier began to create animals of great quality—charming, funny, grotesque, naturalistic, cartoon-like, whimsical and beastly—their animal creations are truly expressive works of art executed in glass.
In the Primavera Collection we see animals by both Martinuzzi and Barovier, and their technical execution is of the highest quality. But we see more—all the animals in this collection have been rendered in tones of clear and white, sometimes accentuated by gold or silver leaf, and taken together we can see how this reduced modernist palette intensifies the personality of each animal.
Ercole Barovier 1889–1974
The nearly fifty year tenure of Ercole Barovier as artistic director, designer and owner of Barovier & Toso is unprecedented in the history of Murano glass, and the firm’s success stands as a testament to his singular artistic talent and entrepreneurial genius.
Born in 1889 to a Muranese family that could trace its origins back to the 13th century, Barovier did not train as a glassblower but had a great passion for glass and quickly distinguished himself as an innovative designer. He joined Artisti Barovier in 1919 at the age of thirty and found success designing vases in the mosaic technique. In 1930 he produced the critically acclaimed and award-winning Primavera series, the success of which encouraged him to continue his experiments.
Auction Results Ercole Barovier
Ercole Barovier
Murrine vase
estimate: $15,000–20,000
result: $317,000
Ercole Barovier
Important Primavera vase
estimate: $250,000–350,000
result: $293,000
Ercole Barovier
Important Mosaico vase
estimate: $150,000–200,000
result: $257,000
Ercole Barovier
Vaso Mosaico
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $245,000
Ercole Barovier
Rare Primavera Piccione
estimate: $100,000–150,000
result: $231,250
Ercole Barovier
Rare Mosaico vase
estimate: $100,000–150,000
result: $200,000
Ercole Barovier
Rare and Important Mosaico vase
estimate: $200,000–300,000
result: $193,750
Ercole Barovier
Primavera vase
estimate: $150,000–200,000
result: $187,500
Ercole Barovier
Rare Primavera Elephante
estimate: $70,000–90,000
result: $162,500
Ercole Barovier
Rare Primavera Pesce
estimate: $70,000–90,000
result: $162,500
Ercole Barovier
Rare Cactus sculpture
estimate: $60,000–90,000
result: $150,000
Ercole Barovier
Vaso mosaico
estimate: $25,000–35,000
result: $149,000
Ercole Barovier
Mosaico vase
estimate: $100,000–150,000
result: $102,500
Ercole Barovier
monumental Rostrati vase
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $100,000
Ercole Barovier
Vetro Mosaico vase
estimate: $70,000–90,000
result: $93,750
Ercole Barovier
Rare Intarsio vase
estimate: $30,000–40,000
result: $87,500
Ercole Barovier
Laguna Gemmata vase
estimate: $9,000–12,000
result: $81,250
Ercole Barovier
monumental Intarsio vase
estimate: $15,000–20,000
result: $75,000
Ercole Barovier
prototype Tessere vase
estimate: $20,000–30,000
result: $69,850
Ercole Barovier
Intarsio vase
estimate: $8,000–10,000
result: $65,000
Ercole Barovier
Intarsio vase
estimate: $15,000–20,000
result: $62,500
Ercole Barovier
Vetro Mosaico vase
estimate: $30,000–50,000
result: $55,000
Ercole Barovier
Rare Intarsio vase
estimate: $30,000–50,000
result: $55,000
Ercole Barovier
Intarsio vase
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $52,500