Great Art Glass Centerpiece by Seguso Vetri D Arte, Murano

Members of the Seguso family have been leading figures in the manufacture of glass on the Venetian island of Murano since the late 1300s, but for most collectors of vintage design the name evokes two companies formed in the first half of the 20th century. Seguso Vetri d’Arte, born from a small consortium of master glass artisans that included Archimede Seguso (1909–99), thrived under the artistic directorship of Flavio Poli (1900–84), a designer with an eye for modern forms, color and pattern. Vetreria Archimede Seguso, meanwhile, was founded in 1946, when Seguso opened his own atelier in order to employ classical techniques in the making of modern glassware.

The owners of Seguso Vetri d’Arte were justly proud of their skills as craftsmen, but they were not worldly aesthetes — and they knew it. Poli had studied at the Art Institute of Venice, originally working in ceramics before switching mediums and taking up the art of glass. He introduced new simple forms to the genre — the best known of his designs being the Valva, which resembles a clamshell in profile — and employed several novel techniques such as corroso, which gives glass a rough, emery-board-like finish. Poli’s most collectible works are his sommerso pieces, made with a layering process in which clear and colored-glass vessels are “submerged” within one another, producing a kind of nesting-doll effect in striking, elegant vases with bands of separate and overlapped hues.

At his eponymous workshop, Archimede Seguso often favored highly decorative, age-old techniques employed with modern restraint. His layered-glass Losanghe vessels have the look of an abstract checkerboard while his free-form Merletto vases have delicate, lacy patterns created by painstakingly twisting two heated glass straws to create helixes around the walls of the piece.

Though different in their scope and mission, both of these furnaces bearing the Seguso name created some of the most beautiful, alluring and exquisitely crafted works in all of modern design.

A descendant of the famed Seguso family dynasty of glassblowers, designer Pierpaolo Seguso combines a masterful technical understanding of glass with innate artistic talent to create exquisite Murano glass chandeliers, table lamps and decorative objets d’art.

The earliest records of the Seguso family’s legendary glassblowing designs can be traced to 1397. During the 16th century, the Segusos were celebrated by Italian Renaissance artists such as Caravaggio and Titian, whose paintings often included depictions of Seguso glass objects.

Pierpaolo Seguso’s interest in glassblowing and art began at an early age. At 19, he joined the Seguso Vetri D'Arte family business, learning the ancient art of Venetian glassmaking. He then studied at Venice’s School of Art and attended the Ca' Foscari University of Venice, graduating with a degree in architecture.

In 2006, Seguso’s immense artistic creativity and eye for contemporary design led him to be named Seguso Vetri D'Arte’s creative director. With his brothers Gianluca (the company’s head) and GianAndrea, Seguso focused on bringing the family firm into the 21st century.

Pieces such as Seguso’s chandeliers, wall mirrors and Cilindri and Mori wall sconces feature a variety of blown glass techniques. Several of his coffee tables and side tables include a patented luminous blown glass leg design. 

Seguso’s fresh, modern and elegant pieces have led to collaborations with several luxury brands, such as Fendi, Mikimoto, Swarovski, Frette and Donghia. His designs have garnered critical acclaim, winning several awards, such as the Menzione d’Onore Compasso d’Oro Award in 2018.

Seguso’s works and pieces by Seguso Vetri D'Arte are in museums worldwide, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Modern Art and Corning Glass Museum in New York and the Museum of Glass in Murano, Italy. 

On 1stDibs, discover a range of Pierpaolo Seguso lighting, tables, mirrors and more.