Murano Chandeliers

A honeymoon in venice is simply not complete without a visit to the Murano Glass factory that is a boatride away. The first time I went was with my parents probably in 1973 and can barely remember the factory tour. maybe if i had broken something I would probably remeber my trip to the factory a little more clearly. I rember seeing all the colored glass and wondering what all the fuss was about. The thing that children remember about venice is feeding the birds. This was after I saw the movie Mary Poppins and feeding the birds in St Mark's Square was simply the most memorable experience when I was barely 7 years old.

So back to Murano chandeliers. I took my second trip to Venice in 2003 on my honeymoon and it was a lot different through adult eyes. A beautiful place nevertheless. I fed the pigeons once. St mark's square looked distinctly smaller from my memeories as a child. This time I made sure to book a visit to the Murano Glass factory as soon as I got to my hotel. A nice boat ride over and we were finally there at the factory. We did the factory tour which was short and to the point. In fact it didn't seem like the factory at all, it was more like a little exhibition set up for the benefit of the tourists. We went through a couple of areas and then to an area where an actual glass blower was making a glass piece in a furnace. Then it was immediately to the show room.

I think what used to be a more extensive facility tour has now been condensed into a marketing funnel that seems to almost rush you through the tour to the showroom where well dressed salespeople want to sell you every glass piece under the sun. The showroom was truly magnificent with beautiful vases, ornaments and chandeliers. The chadeliers were frightfully expensive. They were upwards of seven thousand dollars. As soon as our assigned sales perp (perpetrator) got the thint that we were not going to buy anything she immediately attached herself to some other Americans.

What I like most about Murano Chandeliers is not so much the ornate designs but more the color combinations used in each design. Some are plaine white glass chandeliers with some color highlights and the great murano chandeliers are the ones with all manner of color combinations. The Chandeliers were inspiring in their use of color. The ones I liked the most used colors that evoke the Rococco period in Europe during the 1700s.

The delicacy and playfulness of Rococo designs using all manner of pastel colors and whimsical styles is often seen as perfectly in tune with the excesses of King Louis the fifteenth. This playfulness and use of far reaching colors in murano chandeliers is what is so delightful about these elaborate chandeliers. Glass is a great material that allows a limitless play with colors and forms and what better way to express this than in a chandelier. After all once the light is switched on you really get to see the beauty of these hanging sculptors that play with light.

In terms of form Antler lights have similar appeal to the sinewy almost Goth forms of Murano glass chandeliers. If I wanted a more neutral coloration and texture in a certain room but with the shape appeal of Murano chandeliers I would would most definitely opt for antler chandeliers.