Ferro Toso & C.

Ferro Toso & C. is a glass manufacturing company which is actually started as early as 1880 by Francesco Ferro. The company was named Francesco Ferro & Figlio. The company functioned under this name till 1901. In 1901 Francesco Ferro died and Ferdinando Ferro joined with Luigi and Giovanni Toso and reorganized the company as Ferro Toso & C.

During the World War I it was difficult to function in Murano. So the company was transferred to Naples during the time. In Naples it functioned under the name Vitrum Società Anonima Industrie Artistiche Riunite Ferro Toso. When the animosity developed during the World War was over, the company returned to Murano once again in 1918. Then the name of the company was changed to S.A.I.A.R. Ferro Toso & C.

Thereafter the company worked under this name till 1936. When Luigi Toso died in 1933, his three sons managed the concern. In 1936 Ercole Barovier joined the team and the company was turned into Ferro Toso Barovier Vetreria Artistiche Reunite S. In 1939 the company was reirganized as Barovier and Toso & C.

The company has a long and excellent tradition started by Francesco Toso. After the inception of the company in 1880, it started to produce glassware with a modern flare from 1895. In short, the company was one of the pioneers in the glass industry that brought modernity into the art.

It created and introduced a series of Murrine vases under the leadership of the Swedish designer Anna Akerdhal. The innovative spirit continued with the company even after a decade when it was renamed and reorganized in 1901. Then, after returning from Naples after the World War I with the name S.A.I.A.R. Ferro Tosso & C., in 1923 Ferro Toso & C. produced a new type of light weight glassware.

The firm continued their production of light glass for some years. Meanwhile, it also started to produce lamps with geometrical designs using latimo glass. The product was admired and exhibited in many exhibitions. In 1930 triennale and 1932 biennale the exquisite craft of the firm were highly appreciated. The light blown vases and animal figurines were the highlights of the exhibitions. S.A.I.A.R. Ferro Toso added several novel glass blowing and coloring techniques into the Murano glass tradition.

The firm continued to be the leader even after the demise of its founder Francesco Toso and his son Luigi Toso. In 1936 it joined another equally important and skilled concern the Baroviers to form the Barovier and Toso, which is even now considered as benchmark setters in the industry.

by Marina Chernyak