Murano Glass - Centuries of Glassmaking Craftsmanship

Murano is located in the Venetian Lagoon, close to Venice, and has been a centre of glassmaking since the Middle Ages. In the second half of the 13th century, several glass furnaces began to establish themselves on Murano, and in 1291, Venice’s Great Council decided to move the glass furnaces away from central Venice to reduce the risk of fire.

This marked the beginning of Murano’s role as a centre of glassmaking, where glassmakers continued to develop new techniques and experiment with colours, shapes and decorative details over the following centuries. Over time, Murano became renowned far beyond Italy for its glassmaking craftsmanship.

Much of Murano’s distinctive character comes from the way the glass is worked. The glass is shaped while it is still hot, and many traditional techniques rely on freehand craftsmanship, where the glassmaker’s experience and movements are crucial to the final result. Museo del Vetro describes freehand shaping as a technique that is still closely associated with Murano’s master glassmakers today.

At Studio Hafnia, you’ll find a selection of hand-blown Murano glass, vases, jugs and carafes, as well as carefully selected vintage finds.

We love Murano glass for its combination of traditional craftsmanship and the many colours, patterns and shapes that continue to make each piece unique in the home today.

From colourful drinking glasses on the table to a hand-blown Murano vase on the windowsill, each piece carries a glassmaking tradition that has been developed over centuries.