Monkey - shaped glass sculpture Vetreria Salviati & C,Murano circa 1960

Monkey - shaped glass sculpture
Vetreria Salviati & C
Murano, circa 1960
It measures: 7.48 in in height x 3.86 x 4.53 in (19 cm x 9.8 x 11.5)
It weighs: 5.29 lb (2.4 kg)
State of conservation: intact with very slight chipping on the nose

The sculpture, made of solid glass and worked with a grindstone, depicts a monkey sitting in a recumbent position. The attribution to the Salviati Glassworks is based on a comparison with similarly labelled specimens, datable to the third quarter of the 20th century.

The animal is depicted with low, rounded shoulders, in a resting posture: the front legs rest on the lap and the hind legs are bent with the knees raised. The head is tilted forward, with the ears open sideways. The body is heat-moulded and the eyes were notably obtained through the application of other hot glass.

This model is not particularly widespread. A rare variant, in fluorescent Uranium “Vaseline” glass, has recently appeared on the antiques market accompanied by an original label from the Vetreria Salviati and is dated to the 1950s. This comparison confirms full consistency with the composition and style of the sculpture under examination.

Although some examples can be dated to around the 1950s, in terms of style and workmanship, this version is more likely to belong to the following decade. Indeed, in 1961, at the historic Vidros de Murano international exhibition in Lisbon, Vetreria Salviati, together with Cenedese, presented animal subjects in solid glass, “proposing full, modern and evocative forms”. (C. Beltrami, G. Naccari, L’Arca di Vetro. La collezione di animali di Pierre Rosenberg, Milano 2021, p.?61).

The history of Vetreria Salviati & C. is long and complex, intertwined with that of Venetian glassmaking. Founded in 1877 by Dr. Antonio Salviati, the company has gone through numerous changes while maintaining a recognisable continuity in production and business over time. Between 1920 and 1965, the firm, still operating under the name Salviati & C., collaborated with other furnaces for the production and sale of glass. From 1945, following the destruction of the furnace during World War II, the activity was concentrated on mosaic glass, while the production of other glass products was entrusted first to Vetreria Alfredo Barbini (1950-1955), then to Vetreria Fratelli Toso S.a.s. (1955-1959). This division of production between hollow glass and mosaic glass continued until 1958, when the company acquired a new furnace in Murano from Aziende Chimiche Barbini, thus restarting its own glass production in 1959. At the same time, Salviati also expanded into the lighting sector, enjoying great success. In the years that followed, Salviati continued to evolve: in 1988 it was acquired by Venini S.p.A., finally changing its business and production models in 1995 to involve various players in the Venetian glassmaking scene, as well as internationally.

Bibliography:
Cristina Beltrami, Giordana Naccari (a cura di), L’Arca di Vetro. La collezione di animali di Pierre Rosenberg, Milano 2021, p.?61;
Jean Blanchaert, Musica senza suono. Maestri di Murano, Venezia 2024, pp.?217–222.