A MODERNIST REVOLUTION
Murano has been the center of virtuoso glassmaking since the 13th century. But 1950 through 1970 marked a golden era as artists influenced by the Modern Art movement combined new decorative techniques with centuries-old craftsmanship. The vases, bowls, bottles, chandeliers, and figurines they created combined playful forms with vibrant colors and surprising patterns and textures. Today they provide a wonderful splash of color and artistry in any interior setting, and look especially dramatic in a grouping.

A leading Murano glassworks was and still is Venini and Co., which pioneered a genre of sculptural glass in the 1920s that set the stage for the postwar revolution. Artistic director Napoleone Martinuzzi, a sculptor by training, created opaque, weighty pieces with textured finishes and tiny bubbles locked inside - a drastic departure from the delicate, transparent neoclassical styles most studios had produced since the late 1800s. Venini was the first Murano firm to enlist such outside designers to work alongside master glassblowers, most notably architect Carlo Scarpa, who joined the firm in 1932. He invented new techniques such as tessarae, intricate mosaic patterns made with slices of colored glass canes, and corroso, a rouch finish made by applying sawdust soaked in hydrofluoric acid. Other glassworks soon followed suit, applying equal parts artistry and chemistry to achieve a range of techniques that have become synonymous with the Murano style.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
After technique, condition is paramount. The slightest nick, chip, or scratch can devalue Murano glass. Note, however, that the pontil, the spot where the glassblower's rod connects to the glass and is broken off, can be rough, polished smooth, or nonexistent. Scrutinize vintage vases for a white iridescent sheen inside that means the glass is sick coated with a mineral deposit caused by standing water that is impossible to remove.

Sometimes the name of the artist, studio, model number, or date is acid-etched or inscribed on the pontil. But attributing and dating glass is tricky, as signature practices were inconsistent and many mid-century pieces were not marked, or marked only with stick-on labels, leaving open the possibility of forgery or knockoffs. To figure out who made which piece in what year, you need to study reference books, auction catalogs, old production catalogs, and Web sites. Go to art shows and flea markets, where you can pick up a piece - carefully - and examine it. Don't be afraid to ask the dealer about the artist, the production date, the technique, and the provenance.

Original production series pieces by name designers are easily worth thousands of dollars, with museum-quality works going for more than $100,000. But there are countless interesting, mass-produced mid-century pieces to be had for a few hundred dollars or less at antiques stores, flea markets, and online auction sites.

REISSUED MURANO
By the end of the 1960s, several studios, including Venini, Fratelli Toso, Salviati, AVEM, and Seguso, began reproducing and reinterpreting vintage designs. Today you can find these fine reproductions in art galleries, department stores, gift shops, and on the Web. As with original pieces, look for pontil signatures and documentation of authenticity. Serious collectors feel that this new glass, which is handblown on "cleaner" gas furnaces, lacks the playfulness and quirks of original studio pieces made with the old charcoal-heating-and-bellows system. Still, these reproductions honor a venerable tradition and are quite beautiful decorative objects in their own right.