Blown Murano Glass Chandelier by Gio Ponti for Venini, 1946

Eight-light chandelier made by Venini, the historic Murano glass company, in collaboration with Gio Ponti. The glass is hand-blown and handcrafted, using typical Venetian color techniques, mixing transparent, opaline, and colored glass.
The metal structure is gilded, and the arms are elegantly curved; each arm can be made of glass in a different color.
This is a handcrafted object: each piece has slight variations, typical of Murano glassmaking.
It was designed in 1946, during a period when Ponti renewed his collaboration with Venini after years of interruption.

Venini is a historic Murano-based company, founded in 1921 by Paolo Venini and Giacomo Cappellin. It is renowned for its production of artistic blown glass, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern design.

Gio Ponti (Milan, 1891 – Milan, 1979) was one of the most important Italian architects, designers, and intellectuals of the 20th century. His career was extremely versatile and long-lasting, spanning architecture, industrial design, furniture, art, and publishing.
After graduating in architecture from the Politecnico di Milano in 1921, he began working with Emilio Lancia and other contemporary architects, initially focusing on a neoclassical style. In the 1930s, he moved toward Rationalism, contributing to the development of modern Italian design.
In 1928, he founded the magazine Domus, which he directed for most of his life (with a brief interruption). Through Domus, Ponti promoted a vision of architecture as a synthesis of art, industry, and craftsmanship, becoming an international reference point for design culture.
Gio Ponti was also a professor at the Politecnico di Milano for over 25 years, educating generations of architects. His approach combined elegance, functionality, and a deep attention to the artistic dimension of design.
To this day, he is considered one of the founding fathers of modern Italian design.