Fornasier Luigi

When people hear the words “Murano glass” their minds instantly jumps to Venice, Italy. If this glass is famous all around the world, then why are tourists given such a false reality about the artistic trade when they wander through the streets of Venice? The pieces that they are purchasing are advertised as authentic, when in reality they are far from it. They often times have no relation to the island of Murano in general. Having now lived in Venice for nearly two months, I have been exposed to my fair share of Murano glass (real and imitations). I’ve seen it all--bracelets, bottles, plates, chandeliers, you name it. It has never meant very much to me, and it always seemed like just another thing to keep the tourist industry thriving. Today I am grateful to say that my opinion about all of that has changed. I was given the opportunity to go with a group of about seven or eight to a true Murano glass factory. We received a private tour of Fornasier Luigi and we were also able to see the master glass blower hard at work producing the base for one of his famous, world-renowned chandeliers.

Our tour began by watching glass blowing and ended when a guide shared with us some of the thoughts and perspectives of the family who owns this business. Both aspects of the tour opened my mind to new ideas that I had been previously unaware of. In her work, On Longing, Stewart states that “[The kitsch object’s] expendability is the expendability of all consumer goods, their dependence upon novelty as the replacement of use value and craftsmanship” (On Longing, 168). This is the truth for the Murano glass that fills Venice. These kitsch objects, such as bottle toppers, strive to have beautiful designs and unique colors in order to sell themselves. The prices become competitive, and people only want the objects because the world tells them that they are supposed to when they come to Venice. The truth is, as Stewart states, that the craftsmanship and use value are much deeper than these imitations can represent. Something about watching the sweat cascade down the glass blower’s face while he worked with the hot, malleable glass showed me just how much the imitation glass misses the true point of this art form. In a way, I find it degrading to the families who truly and passionately work in this field.

This particular family has a grand history in Venice. They were responsible for the “Rezzonico” style chandeliers which were covered in ornate decoration (particularly beautifully colored flowers), and were given special treatment in the past by Doges. According to our guide, they were given a private gondolier, they were allowed to have relationships with the daughters of the doges, and they were allowed to travel within the Veneto region to promote their work. The business has been in their hands for many years, and each person who is trained is passionate about what he or she does. They have recently been refusing requests for the “Rezzonico” style in order to pursue a more modern style. This is due to the fact that the master glass blower at the current time wants to remain passionate about his work and wants to switch the style in order to stay fully interested. How striking it was to hear this! In no way, shape, or form, do the “made in China” pendants sold on the streets embody this. They do not even come close to showing the handwork and hours of effort that go into each authentic piece. This art that used to be highly respected has been demeaned to a kitsch, mass-produced industry.

In a way, the feelings I have about this industry remind me of Ruskin. He respected the Gothic style because of its ability to exemplify the artistic hand. He embraced the individuality and uniqueness even when others could not see the beauty in it. Ruskin describes this idea by saying, “Men were not intended to work with the accuracy of tools, to be precise and perfect in all their actions. If you will have that precision out of them, and make their fingers measure degrees like cogwheels, and their arms strike curves like compasses, you must unhumanize them” (The Genius of John Ruskin, 177). In the same way, the industry now prominently contains perfectly shaped pieces created by inhuman means in a factory instead of the beautiful and unique pieces that were once praised. The mass-produced pieces cannot embody the emotion and personality of each of the pieces that Fornasier Luigi produces. It dehumanized the art.

I now walk past the “Murano” stands and have an almost disgusted feeling within me. It’s like another great piece of Venice has been distorted into a keychain. In addition to the misleading postcard, the tourist now has the ability to take home a false work of art and history by purchasing a 2 Euro pair of earrings. Yes, authentic Murano glass is expensive, but this is due to the number of hours it takes to create a beautiful, hand-made piece. It shouldn’t be taken advantage of in the way that it is. I guess that’s what happens when tourists arrive. They always want to take a piece of the city with them in order to remember, and this is a more economical way for them to do that.