The Fazzoletto vase-sculpture by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini

Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini created it for the first time in 1948. Now the Murano master glassmakers, more than fifty years after his birth, continue to repeat and renew the gestures that shape the Fazzoletto (“Handkerchief”) vase. The vase-sculpture, which has become a timeless icon and entered the permanent collection of the MoMA in New York, is made from blown glass by what is known as the “flying hand” technique. The glassmaker models the vase in the form of a draped handkerchief with a circular gesture, soft but decisive, crystallizing the two-colored layered opaline glass just when it takes on the irregular softness of fabric. For this reason, each Fazzoletto is a one-off piece. For the new 2020 collection,Venini has decided to play on the color combinations: the warm tones of Amber (with a milky interior), and the brilliance of Horizon blue (also with a milky interior), or both in the two-tone version of the small vase (h. 13.5 cm).

Sculpted in tradition, but as light as a breath.

At a glance

What is it?
Fazzoletto is a glass sculpture that embraces the discipline of the decorative arts as a home furnishing.
What is the design concept?
It is a study of color in the shades of Amber and Horizon blue applied to the historic Fazzoletto collection designed in 1948 by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini. The special new hues of the 2020 collection are made unique by the ancient and complex technique of making Lattimo glass, created in the 15th century to imitate porcelain and renewed with experiments in the glassworks in the early 20th century.
How is it made and from what materials?
It is completely made from blown glass.
How is it produced and where?
Fazzoletto is made in the glassworks on Murano, handblown by Venini’s masters.
What skills are needed to produce it?
Technical ability and the secrets of a historical glassworks that has a name for excellence.
What is its added value?
The combination of colors.
How is it?
Historical, contemporary, a museum piece.