Elephant sculpture in Murano glass and gold leaf, whose creation is attributed to Ercole Barovier in the 1930s

Ø cm 12,5 Ø cm 7 h cm 15

Ercole Barovier (1889 – 1974) was one of the most influential and innovative Murano glassmakers of the 20th century. Born into the ancient and renowned Barovier glassmaking family, whose lineage dates back to 1295, he defied initial family expectations by choosing medicine, then dedicating his entire career to the art of glass. He became a partner of Vetreria Artistica Barovier & C. in 1919 and was its artistic director from 1926. In 1936, the company merged to become Ferro Toso Barovier, then Barovier & Toso, which he led as artistic director until 1972.

Ercole Barovier was not simply a glass designer; he was a brilliant chemist and experimenter who expanded the boundaries of glassmaking. He is credited with creating over 25,000 models and inventing numerous new techniques and decorative processes that revolutionized Murano glass art. His approach was often empirical, working directly in the furnace with master glassmakers to bring his ideas to life.

Barovier's work evolved through different periods, demonstrating his incredible versatility and inventiveness: 

Primavera (circa 1930): a famous technique discovered by chance, characterized by semi-transparent, milky white glass with a distinctive craquelé texture.

Rostrato (since 1938): one of his most recognizable and patented techniques. It consists of pulling hot glass with tongs to create large, regular, pointed spikes that spectacularly refract light. Barovier & Toso's "Ercole" lamp today is a tribute to this technique.

Mugnoni (1930s-40s): heavy blown glass with application of molds (small glass spots) often containing air bubbles.

Hot coloring without fusion (patented in 1937): a revolutionary technique where fragments of oxide and metal are inserted between layers of glowing transparent glass, reacting to create surprising chromatic effects without fully fusing with the glass. This led to series like "Barbarici" and "Eugenei".

Dew Glass (1940): embedding micro fragments of transparent glass into the mass to make the surface shine like morning dew.

Oriente (1940): Characterized by organic shapes and vivid colors, often with silver leaf, reflecting a shift towards more expressive forms.

Barbarici (since 1940): Influenced by ancient motifs, these pieces feature rough and textured surfaces and primitive shapes, often made with the hot coloring technique without fusion.

Lenti (1940s): Vases and objects decorated with large modeled hemispheres.

Cordonato Oro (1950s): Characterized by thick ribs often enclosing spiraled golden bands, creating a luxurious and distinctive appearance.

Murrine (reinterpretation, 1950s): Although murrine is an ancient technique, Barovier reinvented it with series like "Murrine Romane" (1950s) and "Neo-Murrine" (1972), exploring new compositions of fused colored glass tesserae.

Millefili (1950s): Delicate striped decoration created by numerous thin glass canes fused together.

Pezzato (1950s): Objects made with irregular patches of colored glass fused together, creating a mosaic effect.

Efeso (1964): Known for its heavy and robust shapes, often with a rough or textured surface.