STELVIA Glass (Empoli, Italy)

STELVIA Glass was established in the 1950s in the Empoli region of Italy, an area with a glassmaking history dating back to the 1500s. The name itself is an acronym; S.T.E.L.V.I.A. stands for Società Toscana Esercizio Lavorazione Vetri Industriali e Artistici (Tuscan Company for Industrial and Artistic Glass Processing).

During the post-war mid-century boom, STELVIA helped migrate the Empoli region away from traditional green utilitarian glass and into the vibrant, textured decorative pieces that became staples of 1960s interiors.

Their production centred around tableware, pitchers, and iconic and aptly named ‘genie bottles,’ heavily favouring bright pop-art colours. A number of their most famous cased glass items were marketed under the 'Opalina Fiorentina' and 'Romantica' ranges.

A major defining era for the company was the involvement of Wayne Husted, the Director of Design for American company Blenko Glass. Husted brought his architectural design aesthetic to STELVIA in the 1960s. His designs for the Italian furnaces were released as part of their famous 'Antiqua' range, which featured heavy textures and geometric lines.

Pieces from STELVIA are often found with their original paper or foil labels intact, sometimes featuring the words 'Lavorazione a mano', literally translating to 'handmade'. We believe the company eventually ceased production in the early 2000s.

Read more about Italian Empoli glass production here.