The evolution of the venetian mirror: AAV Barbini’s yourney between Heritage and Experimentation
The history of Venetian mirrors is inextricably linked to that of the Barbini family. Present in Murano since the 1500s, the first certain news of Barbini glassmakers dates back to the 1600s with the figure of Gerolamo, a skilled master in the art of producing glass sheets for windows and mirrors. Since then, generations of artisans have passed down secrets and techniques, making the Barbini name synonymous with glassmaking mastery. Today, the ancient tradition lives on in Barbini Specchi Veneziani, led by Vincenzo and Giovanni with a team of 10 people. Pietro, the Commercial Operations Director, passionately tells us a story made of research, innovation, and collaboration. A journey that has its roots in the artisan wisdom of the past while looking to the challenges of contemporary design.
The excellence of the Venetian mirror: a combination of technique and decoration
What has made Venetian mirrors famous worldwide is the unparalleled quality of the reflective sheet, obtained with a special glass called “cristallino” for its transparency, and made perfectly flat by refined flattening and polishing techniques. But it is in the decoration that Murano art gives its best: frames embellished with elegant glass shapes, engraved, beveled, and enriched with leaves, flowers, canes, and curls in Murano glass, and adorned with gold and silver leaf. At AAV Barbini, the manual skill of the master glassmakers combines with the use of modern technologies such as water jet cutting, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. The result is unique works in which tradition embraces the creative flair of contemporary designers.
Collaboration and experimentation: the way to a new Murano Renaissance
Aware that innovation is in Murano’s DNA, Pietro Barbini has made collaboration the cornerstone of his company vision. Designers, artists, local artisans: many different souls called to reinterpret the essence of the Venetian mirror. This gives rise to unprecedented projects such as the planters by Fabien Cappello or the lamps by Lucia Massari, true works of art in which glass dialogues with other noble materials. And then there are the contaminations with the world of fashion, such as the mirrors created for Dolce&Gabbana stores, or the spectacular installations of the exhibition at Palazzo Reale in Milan. Barbini Specchi Veneziani sets no limits, ready to gather creative stimuli from every field to renew a centuries-old tradition.
A look at the future, with the heart in the Past
“One foot in the past but the gaze straight and open to the future,” to quote Roberto Vecchioni. This is the philosophy that guides the AAV Barbini team. A daily challenge to keep a thousand-year-old know-how alive, passing it on to new generations. With the enthusiasm of those who know that the Venetian mirror still has much to tell. And that its expressive potential is as infinite as the reflections it captures.
Website: aavbarbini.it
