The fascinating history of Murano glass begins in 1291, when Venice decided to move all the glassworks to the island to control and keep the art of the master glassmakers who had already made it famous. The glass art of Murano reached its peak in the 17th century, during the Baroque era, thanks to the discovery of new colors and the ingenious imagination of master glassmakers, who created decorative glass with ever more complex shapes.
Typical of this era are oil lamps, in the shape of a horse or animal, with the mouths for the wick modeled as tails, inspired by those of the Roman era. The body is cloth-blown, slightly constricted in the center, to which they are attached during work four legs "pulled with pliers"; also on the head ears and muzzle are made with clip; the tail takes the shape of a funnel through which the wick is inserted inside the lamp. A button is visible on the thorax, the "pontello" attachment being cut when finished.
The color of this lamp, cobalt blue, is typical of the Baroque era.
The lamp is in perfect condition. These are rare objects, either because of their fragility or because of the limited number of copies produced; a model of this type is exhibited at the glass museum in Venice.
Measures
L cm 16.5
D cm 7
H cm 11.5