Tomaso Buzzi at Venini
After the sudden departure of Napoleone Martinuzzi from Venini in 1932, the architect Tomaso Buzzi, a longtime friend and associate of Paolo Venini, stepped in on short notice to fill the position of artistic director. Also hired on a freelance basis was the young architect Carlo Scarpa whose services as a designer were now available after the recent collapse of MVM Cappellin.
Buzzi was immediately presented with a daunting task—to design an entirely new line of glass to be presented by Venini at the Triennali of Milano in 1933. Buzzi responded with a highly inventive and beautifully cohesive body of work, a vast array of bowls and vases inspired by Surrealism and ancient Etruscan Askoi vessels. These pieces were executed in precious experimental materials and many included industrial and zoomorphic shapes and imagery. Only a few of these highly sculptural objects were produced by Venini and are therefore coveted by collectors, museums and historians.
Based on this collection Buzzi designed a number of very elegant vases inspired by Chinese Ceramics in Laugna, Alba, Alga and Lattimo Argento glass. A few charming sculptures of birds were also produced during this period in both Mezza Filigrana and Lattimo glass. By 1934, Buzzi had departed and Carlo Scarpa now became full time artistic director. And while Tomaso Buzzi’s tenure at Venini was brief, his work had a lasting impact on the company and the trajectory of Murano glass in general.
