VENINI GLASS STUDIO
Murano glass has been made for more than ten centuries, and as like today, it continues to be made by hand. A Murano work group that joins forces is known as “piazza”.  This includes a Master glassmaker and a variable number of assistants, depending on the working cycle involved.  The two people who help the Master directly, getting involved in the essential phases of the glass making process, are called the “servente” and the “serventino”.

All the different types of equipment used in working the glass and their names have been the same for centuries; be they made of wood or metal, they are indispensable tools that enable the Master to express his professional expertise.

MANO VOLANTE DECORO
This expression was introduced in Venice and Murano in the last century and describes the agile motions of the master’s hand as he works the precious glass while it is hot.  During the processing of an vessel “a mano volante” decorations can be applied while the glass is still hot. This might include spiralling strands or multiple stripes or decorations in relief.  A remarkable effect can also be achieved using “iridato” glass, making the surface appear to be iridescent.  The light reflecting off the glass gives rise to a multitude of colours that vary according to the different thicknesses of the metal oxide layer. This can be seen in the "Donna" series.  
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CANNA FILIGRANA
The “canna” cane or rod, is a drawn glass element with a circular cross-section. Invented on Murano in the first half of the 16th century, the “Fillgrana” technique is a refined decorative process done while the glass is hot. The first step in this technique involves making glass rods, usually opaque milk white, coloured smooth or spiralling canes, which are embedded to an outer layer of clear transparent or lightly coloured glass.  There are different kinds of filigree, such as “Fillgrana a reticello” which forms a delicate mesh. “Filigrana a retortoli” is spiralling twisted wires – called “Zanfirico” after the name of the Venetian antiques dealer Antonio Sanquirico, who ordered numerous items made using this technique in the first half of the 19th century. The Venini version of “Zanfirico” is filigree with a number of twisted wires.  This can be seen in some of the "Fazzolleti" range.  
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INCALMO
A highly difficult technique that consists in jointing two blown glass shapes of identical diameter while hot, so as to obtain a single object composed of different parts, usually made of different colours.  This technique can be seen in the famous Venini “Bolle” range.

MURRINE TESSERE
The technique for making the “murrina” consists in forming different glass rods of various colours into a pre-set pattern and then re-heating them to obtain a single rod.  This rod is then cut crosswise to produce a series of small discs, that when arranged in a certain order and re-heated give rise to a finished object.  These are often referred to as ‘canes’.

SOFFIATI A STAMPO
A mould with a circular cross section, made of wood or metal, is sometimes used to obtain a perfect symmetry in blown glass articles being made by hand.

SOMMERSI
This technique consists in overlapping several layers of glass that differ in colour and consistency.  This is obtained by dipping glass attached to a blowpipe into the ovens small basins containing glass of different colours.  Sometimes the decorative effect is increased by adding inclusions of gold leaves or other metals, or air bubbles in between the layers of glass.  This more famous and readily familiar technique can be seen within the Venini “Somersi Oro” range.
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BATTUTO INCISO
Venini first started using these various techniques around the year 1930.  The “Battuto” glass is characterised by its surface being ground so as to produce countless tiny, irregular, adjacent and parallel marks.  This technique produces most famous and complex works done by Venini.  The Venetian masters coincide with the very names of Venini objects, which is proof enough of their unsurpassable excellence in quality and style.  The knowing manual expertise of the master grinders at Venini combined with a careful preparation at the furnace give rise to extraordinary shapes and objects.  The shades of colours and the refinement of the details, make every “Battuto” creation unique and precious. Engraving with an abrasive stone or metal grinder comes from the technique for engraving precious stones.  A mechanical operation of blowing abrasive sand over the surface of the finished piece is used to obtain the “satinato” silky effect.  The “velato” finishing is characterized by a very light ground effect, which gives the surface a misty appearance.  A good example of the “Battuto” glass is the Venini “Collezione Battuti” piece.