2022: The adventurous vintage Murano clam bowls

Whether you live minimalistically, in a storm of art and color or are surrounded by signs of a long life, the beautiful Murano clam bowls can be matched. Known for their organic, almost soft surface and whimsical expressions, they give rise to a smile in everyday life.

But how do you recognize a Murano mussel bowl?

1. Murano, Cenedese or Archimede Seguso – Look for the glassblower's signature

Start by looking for a signature from the glassblower. The easiest way to verify if you are dealing with Murano glass is to look for a sticker. It is the manufacturer's verification and signature that you are holding Murano glass in your hands. There can e.g. stand Murano formia, Cenedese or Archimede Seguso. You can easily locate the manufacturer's location to see if the glass was produced in Murano or Venice. It is not Murano glass if it is produced elsewhere. Then it can instead be glass produced using the same technique, but again, not Murano. Vintage Murano clamshell bowls can be hard to find with a label on them, and luckily it's not the only way to verify the glass either, but a good starting point.

Example of vintage Murano sticker, see more here

2. Adventurous shapes in Murano glass and beautiful shades

Murano mussels are known for their imaginative shapes and the absolutely fantastic shades. The bowls were primarily made in the 70s in a palette of pastel shades. Today, glassmaking is a highly regulated industry to protect the health of the glassblowers, but back then many of the glassblowers used strong chemicals to color the glass to achieve the unique shades we love.

Especially the vintage Murano shells in pink tones would be almost impossible to reproduce today, as everything from arsenic to cyanide was used to achieve the luminous effect in the pink tones. Their shape and size are also very special for the bowls. The clams quickly bring to mind a combination of the story of the Little Mermaid, the playful 70s approach to interior design and exclusive cocktail parties.

That may also be some of the reasons why they have become sought-after collectibles today - you simply won't find anything like it.

Vintage Murano Clam Bowl, see similar here 

3. Find unique characteristics of Murano glass

Murano is a handmade product and you won't find two alike, always keep that in mind. If you are in a shop with Murano glass, the glass will be comparable but always have unique characteristics. Each Murano clam is mouth-blown into a shape and can therefore easily vary slightly in size and expression. You will also often find that there are small magical air bubbles in the glass, which come during the actual blowing.

It can be difficult to assess if you don't have it in your hands, but have found it online. Here you must look for other characteristics - like the crooked features that show that the glass is handmade.

See our full selection of vintage Murano clam bowls here 

Decored with Murano shells

Minimalist decor with modern classics matched with unique vintage Murano objects, styled by Nordic Staging

Create the perfect New Year's table with Murano clams, shellfish and oysters as seen at @cathdelichtenberg

Do you know the story behind the iconic mushroom lamp? Read it here