Barovier & Toso
Barovier & Toso is Murano itself. The Barovier family has made glass on the Venetian island since 1295, which makes it one of the oldest family businesses in the world; the present company, formed in 1936 from the Barovier and Toso glassworks, carries that lineage into contemporary lighting. Every chandelier is still mouth-blown and assembled by hand on Murano, in colored cristallo, clear and frosted glass — pieces that are as much sculpture as illumination. This is decorative lighting at its most theatrical: the fixture that becomes the room. Via della Seta sources Barovier & Toso directly for residential and hospitality projects across the United States — handling specification, custom commissions, freight, customs and white-glove installation under one contract.
Request a quote
Why specify Barovier & Toso for an interior project
Barovier & Toso is the statement-glass choice. When an entrance, stair or dining room needs a single fixture to carry the whole space, a hand-blown Murano chandelier — in blue cristallo, clear crystal or sculpted white glass — does what no architectural fixture can. The glass is made on Murano to techniques the family has refined over seven centuries, with the color, clarity and hand-finishing that distinguish real Murano from imitation.
It is also a custom workshop. Beyond the catalog, Barovier & Toso executes custom commissions — scaled, colored and configured to the room — for palaces, hotels, yachts and private residences. That makes it the house to specify when a project needs a one-off centerpiece engineered to a specific ceiling, drop and palette, produced by the glassmakers who will actually blow it.
Via della Seta sources Barovier & Toso directly. We work from the spec — model or commission, dimensions, glass color, metal finish and lamping — confirm the build on Murano, manage ocean or air freight, US customs clearance and white-glove installation including assembly on site, and consolidate the package with the rest of your specification (furniture, kitchens, smart home) under one contract and one timeline.
Best Barovier & Toso collections by use case
Statement chandeliers
Murano glass chandeliers
The theatrical centerpieces — colored and clear cristallo chandeliers like Taif and Dhamar, mouth-blown and hand-assembled on Murano for entrances, stairs and dining rooms.
Sculpted & white glass
Palladiano and white-glass pieces
Ornate all-white and sculpted-glass chandeliers — a quieter, monochrome expression of the same Murano craft for a more restrained interior.
Shaded chandeliers
Domo and shaded fixtures
Glass-armed chandeliers dressed with fabric shades — combining Murano structure with softer, diffused light for residential dining and lounges.
Table & wall
Lamps, sconces, custom
Glass table lamps like Veronese, wall lights and fully custom commissions scaled and colored to the project.
Collections
Taif
A multi-tier Murano chandelier in deep blue cristallo — mouth-blown arms, drops and rosettes assembled by hand into a theatrical centerpiece. The fullest expression of Barovier & Toso's colored-glass craft.
Dhamar
A classical chandelier in clear and frosted Murano crystal — candle arms, scrolled glass and faceted drops in the grand Venetian tradition, updated in proportion and finish.
Palladiano
An ornate all-white Murano chandelier — sculpted glass arms and a turned central stem reduced to a single, luminous monochrome. Decorative craft in a quieter register.
Domo Nevada
A glass-armed chandelier dressed with pale fabric shades over clear Murano structure and dark glass drops — Venetian craft combined with soft, diffused residential light.
Lead times & project planning
Standard lead time
12–18 weeks ex-Murano for cataloged models; each chandelier is mouth-blown and hand-assembled to order
Custom commissions
16–24+ weeks for custom scale, color and configuration, depending on size and complexity
Pricing tier
Luxury / commission. Smaller fixtures run into four figures; large statement chandeliers and custom commissions reach well into five figures and beyond, by glass, scale and metal.
Trade pricing
Available to verified designers, architects and hospitality buyers. Send your spec or commission brief — dimensions, drop, glass color, finish — for a project-specific quote.
Barovier & Toso vs Masiero, Italamp, Oluce
| Barovier & Toso | Masiero | Italamp | Oluce | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Murano, Venice (1295) | Italy (Veneto, 1981) | Italy (Veneto, 1977) | Italy (1945) |
| Signature | Mouth-blown Murano cristallo | Crystal & glass decorative lighting | Venetian glass & precious metals | Twentieth-century design icons |
| Best known for | Colored-glass statement chandeliers | Contemporary crystal chandeliers | Glass-and-metal chandeliers | Atollo, Spider, Acrilica |
| Aesthetic | Theatrical, historic, sculptural | Decorative, contemporary, ornate | Crafted, luxurious, detailed | Authored, collected, timeless |
| Best for | A statement glass centerpiece | Decorative chandeliers at scale | Crafted glass-and-metal fixtures | A single iconic fixture per room |
Care & maintenance
Murano glass
Dust mouth-blown glass arms, drops and rosettes with a soft dry cloth or a soft brush; for a deeper clean, a barely damp lint-free cloth on cooled glass. Never use abrasives or harsh chemicals, and support each element — Murano glass is hand-made and individually irreplaceable without a new blowing.
Metal frame & finishes
Wipe the metal structure with a soft dry cloth. Keep moisture away from electrical connections and avoid abrasives that mark plated or lacquered finishes.
Assembly & lamping
Large chandeliers ship in components and are assembled on site; keep the assembly map for future cleaning or relocation. Use the specified lamp type and wattage to protect the glass and finish; for socketed versions, replace with the correct bulb specification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barovier & Toso glass really made on Murano?
Yes. Every piece is mouth-blown and hand-assembled on the island of Murano in Venice, by a company whose Barovier family has made glass there since 1295. That provenance — genuine Murano cristallo, blown and finished by hand — is exactly what distinguishes it from machine-made or imitation 'Venetian-style' glass.
Can I buy Barovier & Toso in the United States through Via della Seta?
Yes. Via della Seta sources Barovier & Toso directly from Murano for residential and hospitality projects across the United States — including luxury residences in California, Florida, New York and Texas, hotels, and yachts. We handle specification or commission, the factory build, ocean or air freight, US customs clearance and white-glove installation including on-site assembly.
Does Barovier & Toso make custom chandeliers?
Yes — custom commissions are central to the house. Beyond the catalog, the workshop scales, colors and configures chandeliers to a specific ceiling, drop and palette for palaces, hotels, yachts and private residences. We work from your brief and elevations to commission a one-off centerpiece produced by the Murano glassmakers.
What glass colors are available?
Barovier & Toso works in clear and frosted cristallo, sculpted white glass, and a range of colored Murano glass — the deep blue of pieces like Taif among them. Colors are achieved in the glass itself during blowing, not applied afterward. We confirm the available palette per model or commission when preparing your specification.
How are large Murano chandeliers shipped and installed?
They ship disassembled in protective components and are assembled on site by trained installers — part of our white-glove service. Each chandelier comes with an assembly map; we recommend keeping it for future cleaning or relocation, since the hand-blown elements must be handled individually.
How does Barovier & Toso compare to Masiero or Italamp?
All three are Italian decorative-lighting houses, but Barovier & Toso is the historic Murano name — seven centuries of mouth-blown glass and the most theatrical, sculptural pieces. Masiero and Italamp are contemporary Veneto houses working in crystal, glass and metal at a range of price points. Specify Barovier & Toso when the project wants a genuine Murano statement; we work across all three.
What are typical Barovier & Toso lead times for projects in the US?
Cataloged models generally run 12–18 weeks ex-Murano since each is blown and assembled to order; custom commissions run 16–24 weeks or more depending on scale and complexity. For projects with a fixed install date we recommend confirming the spec or commission several months out so production, freight, US customs clearance and on-site assembly fit comfortably inside the schedule.
See Also
Masiero
Italian decorative lighting — crystal, glass and handcrafted statement chandeliers.
Italamp
Venetian handcrafted lighting — chandeliers and pendants in blown glass and precious metals.
Oluce
Italian lighting heritage since 1945 — Magistretti's Atollo, Joe Colombo's Spider and design classics.
Catellani&Smith
Artisan luminaires from Bergamo — hand-hammered metal, filament bulbs and poetic, warm light.
Let's talk
Request a quote or partnership
Thank you — we'll be in touch shortly.