Alfredo Barbini

ALFREDO BARBINI (Murano, 1912-2007).
“Ad Anelli” vase, 1960s.
Blown Murano glass bottle.
Signed and located on the base.
Measurements: 32 x 26 x 9 cm.
Turquoise-tinted blown Murano glass bottle with relief decoration of brightly colored circles.
Alfredo Barbini was one of the main Murano glass masters of the 20th century. He began his long career in 1925 working at the SAIAR Ferro Toso factory, and in 1929 joined the Cristalleria di Venezia e Murano as a master glassblower. He left that company in 1932 to work in a glass workshop in Milan, but returned to Murano to work first at the newly formed firm Zecchin & Martinuzzi and then at Seguso Vetri d'Arte. From 1936 to 1944 he was a partner and master glassmaker of the Societa Anonima Vetri Artistici Murano, known as SAVAM. After the Second World War, Barbini worked as a master glassblower and designer successively with Archimede Seguso and Napoleone Martinuzzi, then became a partner in Vetreria Vistosi and, later, Gino Cenedese. With the financial help of the company Salviati & C., for which he manufactured products, he founded in 1950 his own glass company, Vetreria Alfredo Barbini (reorganized in 1983 as Alfredo Barbini Srl). His firm exhibited his work at the Venice Biennales from 1950 to 1961. He died in 2007. Among many other honors, Barbini received the "Osella d'Oro" from the Associazione degli Industriale of Venice and the honorary title of "Commendatore" and was named "Venetian of the year 1989" by the Settimare Association.