Barovier & Toso
Historic Murano glassmaker specializing in handcrafted luxury lighting, architectural installations, and contemporary glass art.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Barovier & Toso is an Italian luxury glassmaker based on the island of Murano in Venice. It specializes in handcrafted Murano glass lighting, decorative glass, and bespoke interior-design installations. The company presents itself as one of the oldest continuously operating family businesses in the world, tracing its heritage to the Barovier glassmaking family and to traditions associated with the Toso family. The frequently cited founding date of 1295 reflects the claimed antiquity of the Barovier lineage; the earliest surviving documentary evidence of a Barovier in Murano dates to 1324, while a 1343 document identifies Iacobello Barovier's son Antonio as a glassmaker. The Toso family is documented as participating in Murano glassmaking by at least 1407. The brand's historical importance is linked to Murano's development as a center of specialized glass production. In the fifteenth century, Angelo Barovier became known for technical experiments that improved the transparency of glass and contributed to the development of crystalline glass. His daughter Marietta Barovier is associated with the development and diffusion of rosette beads, layered glass beads with star-like patterns that reached international markets. These early achievements form part of the historical lineage that the modern company uses to position its products between craft, design, and art. The present corporate identity emerged from twentieth-century consolidation. In 1936, Vetreria Artistica Barovier merged with Ferro Toso to form Ferro Toso Barovier Vetrerie Artistiche Riunite S.A. The business worked with crystalline glass, mother-of-pearl effects, and colored glass, including a gold-free cornelian red. It was renamed Barovier Toso & Co. in 1939 and adopted the name Barovier&Toso in 1942. Ercole Barovier was the central artistic figure of this period. After joining the family firm in 1920, he became its principal designer from 1927 and sole owner after his brother Nicolo's departure in 1934. His experimental approach produced some of the most acclaimed twentieth-century works associated with the Barovier name. Ercole's Primavera series, introduced in 1930, used an unusual milky white craquelé glass with opaque black or blue glass details. The material result was difficult to reproduce, making the series particularly limited. His later Lenti works, first produced in 1940, combined a colored inner layer with a clear outer layer containing suspended gold leaf and convex forms that created a magnifying optical effect. The company also received recognition in the 1940s and 1950s for innovations in murrine, a technique in which layers of colored glass are formed into canes and sliced to reveal patterned cross-sections. Barovier & Toso now operates primarily as a high-end lighting and interior-design house. Its offer includes chandeliers, pendant lamps, wall and ceiling fixtures, table and floor lamps, decorative objects, and custom installations. Products are made through collaboration between designers and Murano glass masters, with extensive use of hand-blown, layered, colored, textured, and decorated glass. Its work has appeared in diplomatic, religious, hospitality, residential, and commercial settings, including the chandeliers of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca and a chandelier acquired in 1962 for the Hôtel de Besenval, the Swiss Confederation's embassy in Paris. In 2015, Rinaldo Invernizzi acquired a 95 percent stake through his holding company Oikia 3. He became president in 2017. Under his leadership, the company expanded its presentation in Venice with Palazzo Barovier&Toso, a renovated palazzo across from the historic Murano headquarters that opened to the public in November 2018 after work by Milanese design studio Calvi Brambilla. The company broadened its cultural activity in 2024 through Galleria Barovier&Toso, which develops collaborations between contemporary artists and Murano glassmakers, and through Fondazione Barovier&Toso, which works on digitizing the historical archive and building a contemporary glass-art collection. Andrea Signoroni became chief executive officer in 2024, and Luca Nichetto was appointed artistic director in 2025.
History
Barovier & Toso's heritage is rooted in the long history of Murano glassmaking. The Barovier family is documented in Murano records from the early fourteenth century. Iacobello Barovier, born around 1295, appears in a 1324 legal document, and a 1343 record identifies his son Antonio as a glassmaker. The Toso family is documented in the same craft community by 1407. The modern company uses 1295 as its traditional heritage date, although the surviving documentary record begins later. The Barovier lineage became particularly influential during the Renaissance. Angelo Barovier was associated with technical advances in the clarity and refinement of glass, including crystalline glass. His daughter Marietta Barovier became known for rosette beads, whose layered star patterns supported Murano's export trade. These figures are part of the broader technical and artistic history from which the present Barovier & Toso brand derives its authority. The twentieth-century company took shape through a sequence of mergers and name changes. In 1936, Vetreria Artistica Barovier joined Ferro Toso, creating Ferro Toso Barovier Vetrerie Artistiche Riunite S.A. The business developed crystalline glass, mother-of-pearl effects, and colored glass. It became Barovier Toso & Co. in 1939 and adopted Barovier&Toso in 1942. Ercole Barovier dominated the company's artistic direction during this period. He entered the family business in 1920, became its main designer in 1927, and later operated as its sole owner. His Primavera series of 1930 used a difficult-to-repeat milky craquelé glass with opaque colored accents. The Lenti series, developed in 1940, used contrasting glass layers and suspended gold leaf to produce magnified optical effects. During the 1940s and 1950s, his work also helped establish the company's reputation for experimentation with murrine, in which patterned glass canes are sliced to create decorative cross-sections. Barovier & Toso's twentieth-century and contemporary work moved between art objects and functional design. Alongside vases and other collectible pieces, the company became closely associated with chandeliers and architectural lighting. Its commissions have included the chandelier of the Hôtel de Besenval in Paris, purchased in 1962, and chandeliers made for the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca in the early 1990s. In 2015, Rinaldo Invernizzi acquired a 95 percent stake through Oikia 3. He became president in 2017. The company subsequently strengthened its public-facing presence with Palazzo Barovier&Toso, a renovated Venetian palazzo that opened in November 2018 as an additional showroom and presentation venue near the historic Murano headquarters. The building's interiors were renovated by Calvi Brambilla. The company extended its role from manufacturer and design house into cultural stewardship in 2024. Galleria Barovier&Toso, founded by Invernizzi with art historian Mara Hofmann, develops curated collaborations between contemporary artists and Murano glass masters. The Barovier&Toso Foundation works to digitize the company's historical archive, publish archival material online, and develop a contemporary glass-art collection for preservation and institutional lending. Andrea Signoroni became CEO in 2024, followed by Luca Nichetto's appointment as artistic director in 2025. The current brand therefore combines historic family craft, luxury lighting, commissioned interiors, contemporary design, and archival preservation.
- 2025
Luca Nichetto appointed artistic director
[1]Designer Luca Nichetto joined the company as artistic director.
- 2024
Cultural institutions established
[1]Galleria Barovier&Toso and Fondazione Barovier&Toso were established to support contemporary glass art and historical preservation.
- 2018
Palazzo Barovier&Toso opened
[1]A renovated Venetian palazzo opened as an additional showroom and company presentation space.
- 2015
Majority ownership acquired by Rinaldo Invernizzi
[1]Invernizzi acquired a 95 percent stake through Oikia 3.
- 1990
Chandeliers made for Hassan II Mosque
[1]The company manufactured chandeliers for the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca during the early 1990s.
- 1962
Chandelier supplied for Hôtel de Besenval
[1]A Barovier&Toso chandelier was purchased for the dining room of the Swiss Confederation's embassy in Paris.
- 1942
Current company name adopted
[1]The business began using the name Barovier&Toso.
- 1940
Lenti series developed
[1]Ercole Barovier introduced the Lenti approach, combining layered glass, convex clear forms, and suspended gold leaf.
- 1939
Company renamed Barovier Toso & Co.
[1]The merged company adopted the name Barovier Toso & Co.
- 1936
Merger creates Ferro Toso Barovier
[1]Vetreria Artistica Barovier merged with Ferro Toso to form Ferro Toso Barovier Vetrerie Artistiche Riunite S.A.
Products and positioning
Luxury Murano glass, collectible lighting, heritage craftsmanship, and bespoke interior design
Lighting
Murano glass chandeliers
Handcrafted chandeliers are among the company's signature products. They combine metal structures with individually formed Murano glass elements, often using color, layering, texture, and decorative details. The range serves luxury residences, hotels, restaurants, diplomatic buildings, religious spaces, and other large-scale interiors. The company also develops bespoke chandelier configurations for projects requiring a specific scale, composition, or architectural relationship.
Decorative art
Decorative Murano glass
The company produces collectible and decorative glass objects, including vases and sculptural pieces. Historical production is associated with experimental techniques such as craquelé glass, murrine, layered or cased glass, colored glass, and gold-leaf effects. These works occupy a position between functional object, design collectible, and studio art, and are valued for the individuality created by hand production.
Collectible glass · 1940
Lenti series
Developed by Ercole Barovier in 1940, the Lenti series used a brightly colored inner glass layer enclosed within a clear outer layer. Thick convex forms in the exterior layer magnified suspended gold leaf, producing an optical impression of enlarged or moving leaves. Known examples were made in colors including blue, green, and red.
Collectible glass · 1930
Primavera series
The Primavera series was created by Ercole Barovier in 1930. Its milky white craquelé glass was combined with black or blue opaque glass details. The material effect resulted from an accidental mixture that could not readily be repeated, so production was limited. Primavera works are now regarded as important examples of Ercole Barovier's experimental approach.
Decorative art
Murrine glass works
Murrine work is made by layering colored molten glass, drawing it into long canes, cooling the canes, and cutting them into sections that reveal their internal patterns. Barovier works using this technique received recognition during the 1940s and 1950s and remain an important part of the company's artistic heritage.
Interior design
Custom architectural lighting
Barovier & Toso works with architects, interior designers, developers, hospitality operators, and institutions on customized lighting schemes. Projects can involve large chandeliers, repeated lighting elements, site-specific installations, and adaptations of the company's glass vocabulary to a building's scale and identity. Notable historical commissions include work for the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.
Brand decisions
2024
Expand into contemporary art and archival preservationStrategyBackground
The company sought to connect its historic glassmaking expertise with contemporary artistic practice and long-term heritage preservation.
Action taken
It established Galleria Barovier&Toso and Fondazione Barovier&Toso. The gallery develops curated collaborations with contemporary artists, while the foundation digitizes the historical archive and builds a contemporary glass-art collection.
Aftermath
Barovier & Toso's activities expanded beyond commercial lighting into cultural programming, archival stewardship, and support for contemporary glass art.
2018
Open Palazzo Barovier&TosoStrategyBackground
The company sought to strengthen its public presentation and customer experience near its historic Murano headquarters.
Action taken
After renovation by Calvi Brambilla, the company opened Palazzo Barovier&Toso as an additional showroom and presentation venue.
Aftermath
The palazzo broadened the company's physical presence in Venice while maintaining the historic Murano site as its headquarters.
2015
Rinaldo Invernizzi acquires a majority stakeM&ABackground
The historic family glassmaker underwent a change in ownership while retaining its Murano identity and craft specialization.
Action taken
Rinaldo Invernizzi acquired 95 percent of the company through his holding company Oikia 3.
Aftermath
Invernizzi became president in 2017 and supported expanded showroom, contemporary-art, and archival activities.
1936
Merge Vetreria Artistica Barovier with Ferro TosoM&ABackground
The two Murano glass businesses were brought together during a period of twentieth-century consolidation.
Action taken
The merger created Ferro Toso Barovier Vetrerie Artistiche Riunite S.A., combining the Barovier and Ferro Toso businesses.
Aftermath
The combined company continued developing crystalline, mother-of-pearl, and colored-glass products and later changed its name twice before adopting Barovier&Toso.
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