Empoli, as a municipality itself, is approx 30kms (45 mins) slightly south-west of Florence, in the region of Tuscany, Italy. It’s the somewhat forgotten region of the country when it comes to glass manufacturing, behind the well-known Murano or Venetian glass.
Glass making in the Empoli region of Italy actually has a history which dates to the 1500s, when local glass production was known as ‘verde’ (Italian for green). The traditional verde glass was created for a number of both functional and decorative pieces during its time.
However, during the peak post-war period, decorative items produced in Empoli and the surrounding region were manufactured at an all-time high, bound for western international markets. Across the peak of the 1950s through the early 1970s, decorative decanters, vessels, vases and the like were exported and sold at various department stores in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, etc.
Catalogues for department stores and home styling magazines of the era can be found today online showcasing decorative Italian decanters and vases, for the most part originating from the Empoli region.
THIS LISTING
Manufacturer Cristalleria Fratelli Betti
Production 1960s
Model Vase
Colour Butterscotch
Dimensions 51cm (20") tall
Condition Excellent condition with no wear that we can see.
This is also 'cased' glass, meaning there is a internal layer of white glass allowing the external colour to really pop.
More about Cristalleria Fratelli Betti
Cristalleria Fratelli Betti was founded in the Italian region of Empoli, in 1954, by three brothers, Daniel, Loris and Josè Betti, when they took over an existing factory run by the Mori family, named Vetreria Rioda.
In the early 1970's, the glassworks was bought by the factory workers, and production continued until the company closed in 1982.
Source, 20th Century Glass - here.
