Toni Zuccheri Furniture

Italian, 1936-2008

Italian glassmaker and master Murano craftsman Toni Zuccheri’s lifelong passion for nature and animals contributed to the development of some of the finest modernist works in Murano glass history. His mid-century-era chandeliers, wall sconces, table lamps and vases showcase his penchant for experimentation and exceptional skill in color and form.

Zuccheri was born in 1936 in San Vito al Tagliamento. His father was Luigi Zuccheri (1904–74), a renowned painter known for his depictions of animals (and friend of artist Giorgio De Chirico). Toni not only inherited his father’s love of the animal kingdom — particularly birds — but also his artistic talents, demonstrating an intuitive skill for drawing at an early age.

In 1945, the Zuccheri family moved to Venice. At the city’s University Institute of Architecture, Toni studied under esteemed Italian architects Franco Albini, Ignazio Gardella and Carlo Scarpa.

During the early 1960s, Zuccheri focused on the art of glassmaking and collaborated with Venini. While working with the celebrated Italian Murano glass factory, he developed an innovative type of thick window glass sheets called Vetrate Grosse with prolific Italian architect and furniture designer Gio Ponti. The glass was made of dense, vitreous pastes mixed with murrine, raw pigment, shards of filigrana cane and fine wire mesh.

Zuccheri exhibited a group of elaborate bird and farm animal sculptures at the 1964 Venice Biennale. The birds, which were accented with gold leaf, included vibrantly hued guinea fowl-shaped works with murrine bodies, turkeys, owls and hoopoes (colorful birds known for their crown of feathers). Zuccheri employed an ingenious glass layering technique to create the birds’ feathers, while their realistic-looking legs and feet were made of bronze.

Throughout his career, Zuccheri’s love of birds and animals was a recurring theme in many of his glassworks, which he created for Venini and other Italian Murano glass manufacturers such as VeArt and Barovier & Toso. Today, his work lives on in galleries and private collections worldwide.

On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Toni Zuccheri lighting, decorative objects and serveware.

Toni Zuccheri furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Toni Zuccheri furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of glass and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Toni Zuccheri furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 212 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 11 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Toni Zuccheri were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Gae Aulenti, Tommaso Barbi, and Achille Castiglioni. Prices for Toni Zuccheri furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $11 and can go as high as $125,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,152.