Antonio Dei Rossi

Glass fuser

Miniature marvels in glass murrine

The art of Venetian murrine was developed in the mid 19th century
Big cats are among Antonio's favourite subjects
His works are exhibited in the Murano Glass Museum

Months of hard work, resting in the palm of your hand. Small marvels of painstaking patience, created by joining together millimetre-thick pieces of glass to form a pattern identical to the original drawing on paper. Only very few glassmakers still master this art. Venice may be full of murrine works, but only a few are miniature portraits. Most of these carry the signature of Antonio Dei Rossi, who was born in the trade and has successfully mastered his father’s teachings. The precision of Venetian murrine has risen to incredible heights thanks to him. He favours a distinctive choice of subjects, mostly flora and fauna.

Interview

Why did you choose these subjects?: I was trained as an illustrator and graphic designer. Initially, my ambition was to bring abstract art into the universe of murrine, but my first experiments were rather disappointing. When they were fired, the colours would melt together, whereas animals and plants enabled me to express my creativity far better.
What made you decide to follow in your father’s footsteps?: My father preserved the tradition of Giacomo Franchini, the master glassmaker who was the first to insert a portrait into a classic murrina in the mid 19th century. My father specialised in immensely detailed art, and I didn't want his work to disappear. So in 1999 I decided to follow his example.
How is a Venetian murrina made?: The murrina is assembled when the glass is cold: the little canes are put together like minute mosaic tiles. When the pattern is ready, it is placed into the furnace. That’s the moment of truth, because when the colours melt together you can never predict the result. Sometimes you have to throw away months of work.
What is your advice to someone who wants to work in this field?: Patience, patience, patience. I also suggest combining this craft with something that will earn you a living, perhaps even in glassmaking. It takes an incredible amount of time to make one single murrina, and unfortunately it is not possible to charge the price the piece deserves.

Antonio Dei Rossi is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1992