Seguso Vetri d’Arte: Glass Objects from Murano, 1932-1973

In 1932 Antonio Seguso and his sons Archimede and Ernesto joined forces with Napoleone Barovier and Luigi ’Olimpio’ Ferro to found Vetretia Artistica Barovier & C.; the name of the firm was changed to Seguso Vetri D’Arte in 1937. The turbulent era of the company’s history - marred by some severe economic downturns - ended in 1973 when it was taken over by Maurizio Albarelli.

On entering the firm in 1945, Flavio Poli turned the program around to make it fresh and contemporary. Thus Seguso Vetri D’Arte became the leading glass factory on Murano. Flavio Poli’s designs chimed perfectly with the 1950s and ’60s zeitgeist.

We are indebted indeed to Marc Heiremans for devoting years of hard work at various Murano sites to tracking down almost all the Seguso archive material: an incredible treasure trove which he has been evaluating, working up and subjecting to meticulous scholarly treatment. The fruits of his labors are presented in this book, which is essentially a catalogue of works.