Alfredo Barbini (1912-2007) Italian, 3 Vintage Murano Art Glass Christmas Trees. One with controlled bubbles and a jellyfish-like pattern inside, the other two shorter with a twisted design, all incorporating gold color in their interior lines and shapes. 

Size: (largest ) 3 1/2 x 10 1/2 in. 

#4335 . 

Alfredo Barbini was born in 1912 on the island of Murano in the waters near Venice, Italy. His family had worked in glassmaking for many generations, and by the age of ten he was studying the craft as well at Abate Zanetti, the design school attached to the Murano Glass museum. He then went on to work for Ferro Toso in 1925, followed soon by a move to Cristalleria Murano in 1929. After moving briefly to Milan for work in 1932 he returned to Murano, first joining Zecchin-Martinuzzi and then Seguso Vetri d’Arte. From 1936 to 1944 he was a partner and master glassblower for Societa Anonima Vetri Artistici Muranesi. In 1946 he became a partner with Archimede Seguso, then with Napoleone Martinuzzi 1947, and finally Gino Cenedese in 1948. In 1950, with financial assistance from the firm of Salviati & Co., he opened his own glassworks, Vetreria Alfredo Barbini. In exchange, Barbini supplied Salviati with some of the glassware they produced, which explains why some known Barbini designs can be found with Salviati labels. Through his exquisite exhibitions at each Venice Biennale from 1950 to 1961 he became world-famous for his heavy, thick sculptural forms that won numerous awards. In 1952 Alfredo’s daughter Oceania Barbini-Moretti joined the glassworks and became the company’s sales manager. His son Flavio became a designer for the firm in 1968. Barbini was awarded the “Osella d’Oro” by Venice’s Associazione degli Industriale in 1980, and was given the honorary title “Commendatore” and named “1989 Venetian of the Year” by the Settimare Association. He passed away in 2007, and his personally designed Murano art glass has been highly sought after ever since.