Carlo Moretti: Modern Pioneer in the Fine Art of Murano Glassblowing
Explore the handmade, one-of-a-kind Murano glass goblets, vases and lamps at The Wren
The crystalline blue waters of the Venetian Lagoon surround the island of Murano, off the mainland of Italy and near the island city of Venice. Colorful boats anchor at the docks near waterway-facing buildings in a rainbow of colors. It’s this infusion of color in Murano’s natural and built environment that informs the artful handblown glass creations of Carlo Moretti, a company created in 1958 by brothers Carlo and Giovanni Moretti. As natives of Murano (the glassblowing capital of the world), the Moretti brothers were born into the fine art of glassmaking that traces its history back to the late 1200s. Today, the company still uses the methods of the glassblowing masters of the Middle Ages, who were ordered by the Venetian doge to move from Venice to Murano in 1291 to safeguard their trade secrets under the guise of protecting Venice from potential fires resulting from the glassblowing furnaces.
The Wren has partnered with Carlo Moretti to bring a curated collection of its Murano glassware, vases and lighting fixtures into The Wren’s portfolio of fine art and heritage brands. Carlo Moretti’s signature swirling colors of glasswork are internationally recognizable, and its factory is one of the few remaining artisan glassblowing enterprises left on Murano. “Carlo Moretti is steeped in tradition but interprets its glasswork in modern ways,” says The Wren’s founder, Lori Bate. “The old and the new work very well together in the same setting. Our curated collections pull from Carlo Moretti’s ‘happy’ designs, but we did not overlook functionality and chose useful glassware to enliven homeowners’ bars and tablescapes with a whimsical, colorfully vibrant aesthetic. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and stamped with a serial number when it comes out of the furnace. Even though it’s a piece of collectible art, Carlo Moretti glassware also is durable for everyday use.”
Carlo Moretti’s authentic factory combines age-old glassblowing techniques with contemporary Italian designs that look wonderfully modern in today’s homes. The wide range of colors created by infusing different minerals into the molten glass is breathtaking. There is a color that matches everyone’s design palette. The brothers took inspiration from their love of classical music, architecture and fine cuisine and worked those influences into their creations. And while historians talk about Murano’s rise to glassmaking fame by referencing the 1200s to 1500s timeframe, it’s obvious that Carlo Moretti’s talent, continuous research, experimentation and overall contribution to fine glassmaking is just as significant in this more modern age.
Twentieth century glassblowing masters embraced both the reproduction of classical Murano glass forms as they rediscovered ancient techniques and also began producing more modern styles with simpler and cleaner lines. It’s at this intersection—the fusion of old and new—that Carlo Moretti’s glassware style shines.
Regardless of the tempests of politics, wars and conquests, or economic hardship over the centuries, the singular focus of Murano’s glass masters shines through. What makes the story of their resilience even more amazing is that the tiny islands of Murano have none of the raw materials such as sand, soda and ash, required to make these exquisite glass creations. Yet they prevailed, and even today, with companies such as Carlo Moretti, the fresh ingenuity continues.
While you can find Carlo Moretti glassware in use at the finest European hotels and restaurants, such as Hélène Darroze in London and chef Jean-François Piège’s restaurants in Paris, The Wren brings this opportunity to stateside tablescapes so everyone can experience the same quality revered across the Atlantic for hundreds of years.
Shop online, at one of our trunk shows, or in our Mount Pleasant, SC, showroom for the latest imported Carlo Moretti collections of glassware, vases and lighting. Let’s raise a toast to heritage, quality and Italian innovation!
