Topic: Need help with Murano aquarium find.

[westred]

Hey everyone,

  Just found this very nice Murano aquarium and wondering if anybody knows much about them? 
It's 8" wide, 6" high, and 2" thick.  For what I paid, I think I may have really stolen it.
If you could give me a date of manufacture and approx. value, it would be much appreciated!
I always wanted to find one of these and I think I might have found a real one at a bargain price!

  Let me know what you think and I will let you know how much I paid.

  Thanks, in advance,

  westred

[westred]

  I know it's the holidays and a lot of people are away visiting family and such, but if anyone can help
me with it's authenticity and value, that would be great.

  I felt like I needed to show everyone, as I think it is very cool!  I had seen smaller ones, but never this
large.  I think it is real, as the sticker shows, but I have bought what I thought were real Murano pieces
with stickers on them, only to find out they were not authentic and that someone had just stuck a generic sticker on it!

  westred

[Anne]

Patience, not everyone visits every day, especially during holiday periods.

[shandiane78]

I believe this is a contemporary piece, but don't know who made it. This importer has similar ones for sale:

http://www.luigiandsons.com/30280

[johnphilip]

The early ones Cenedese~ Licata  are made up of two three sometimes four  glass panels fused together this gives depth and a liquid look if you look at the edges you can see this ,the detail of the fish and plants is exquisite in these early ones ,once you have seen one you will know the difference  .JP

[Lily of the Valley]

Westred, while I feel your aquarium recent, it is nice to look at.  Those fish have definitely got personality and the whole setup is nice to look at.

Shannon, thanks for the Luigi and Sons site.  What nice pieces they have!  I have an old A. Santini elephant (probably 1950's) as well as two Capodimonte figurines I know are no earlier than the 1950's as they were acquired by my parents when they lived in Naples.  The detail on all three of these pieces is truly amazing.  If anyone is interested, I will gladly post a photo of the Capodimonte figurines as I have never seen anything close to them in my journey through life and the internet 

Lily

[westred]

  Thanks for the feedback!  I am very sure it is a recent contemporary piece also!  But, I noticed on Murano.net, that new aquariums of this size still go for between
$800 - $1500.  So, I guess getting this one for $48 would be considered a great buy!?  I love it, either way.  It has great detail and in the right light, almost looks like a real aquarium.  I am almost positive it is not a fake.  Just a newer Murano piece, which is just fine with me!

  I just wanted to say that this is the BEST glass collecting board I have ever joined!  Thank you all for the experienced info!

  westred

[johnphilip]

 If you look at item 250318372007 on ebay now you will see a small example of the Cenedese/Licata aquariums ,note the price a bit steep for todays market but last year would have been no problem .

[Artofvenice]

I can't be 100% sure, but it looks like some piece that I had by the company Barovier&tagliapietra.
I had some with the same style of finishing and the same "family feeling"
I think that this company doesn't exist any more and probably the two master glassmakers now are working in different companies.
Anyway the fish inside are lampworked by somebody else (not like in the old Cenedese ones where the fish were made in the furnace) and the master normally buy them from the lampworker. Therefore the same fish can be in the pieces made by different master glassmakers.

Sincerely

Alex

www.artofvenice.com