everywhere we went,
Venetians warned us against the invasion of Chinese investment and the
cheapening of goods usually associated with the sinking city. they were
especially adamant, including Fredi, that we not buy any Murano glass without
proper authentication. this is a tricky thing when you are in a maze of
disguises.
in the 13th
century, the Venetian Republic moved its glass makers to the island of Murano
in order to protect the city from their furnaces. Fredi explained that Venezia is
a floating city, so most of the buildings - even the 14k-gold-covered gilding -
are made of wood for elasticity. fire is a great danger even today. just a
couple of years ago, Venezia lost an entire museum in one day.
Pepe, our guide at the B.F. Signoretti glass factory on Murano, said that the move to Murano was a
safeguard for the artisans’ techniques. Venezia’s Murano maintained a monopoly
on glass art for several centuries. still today, the Murano stamp is sought after by collectors
from all over the world. but like Fredi, Pepe warned us that things aren’t
always what they seem.
when i asked if i could
take photographs in the demonstration area (because it seems you are not
allowed to take photos anywhere), Pepe said yes and lamented that the Chinese
had already successfully stolen their secrets. in their galleries, however, i was told that i could not take photos. this is where they exhibited many
one-of-a-kind pieces from Venetian glass Maestroes.
you see, it takes the
better part of a lifetime to earn the title Maestro in the tradition of Murano
glass. the better part of a lifetime honing one’s skills, but also, our guides
insisted, it is in the blood – one must have talent. there is only one Maestro
per furnace, so one might work a lifetime and still not master the craft.
so murano glass costs
a lot for both creators and consumers. if it does not (cost a lot), beware you
have fallen for an obvious diguise. Fredi and Pepe warned against the
cheapening effects of Chinese infiltration. Fredi said that the (thousands, i know because i saw them, of) shops and stalls that line the streets and bridges
of Venice are often a front for a Chinese merchant counting the take in the
back. restaurants too, she said. investors are manufacturing cheap glass in large
quantities and passing it off as Murano glass. they are even buying up glass
factories on Murano and cheapening Venetian arts as they use location to
authenticate their wares.
this reminds me of
several conversations i’ve had recently about the death of trade skills in the US
and global reliance on cheap and seemingly anonymous manufacturing practices. it
takes me back to an interview i heard on NPR not long ago with the author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, Elizabeth L. Cline. This memoir details how the US has outsourced clothing manufacturing, and therefore lost its skill sets and its appreciation for quality. Cline's conclusion is that we need to buy less of
higher quality and buy with intention about where and how things are made. folks,
there is a reason for those place of make tags in your clothing and on
everything else. pay attention, and know the greater cost of buying cheap! this
cost is not just to the consumer. cheap goods are paid for in lives and deaths –
the alienation of everyone from labor as life (see Marx) and the deaths of
those who the rest of the world refers to as resources (see the NPR coverage of the garment factory collapse in Bangladesh).
here are some tips
that we learned as we were led through the byways of venetian glass:
- look for the Murano seal of authentication and corresponding documentation
- look for the Murano seal of authentication and corresponding documentation
- this +an artist’s signature in the glass is better
- ask about the artist
- make sure the factory and showrooms that you
visit are venetian owned
- take your time in the process. Do not cheapen
it rushing about. if you want something specific, do your research in advance,
and make arrangements to visit the factory that has what you’re looking for. Signoretti
specializes in chandeliers, and they were truly spectacular. i bought a small
pair of white, milk glass earrings to remind me to dream of a small one for a
white kitchen someday.
- pay the high cost of murano glass
true, a good deal is
worth pursuing, and Venice enjoys a good negotiation. nonetheless, the prices
are higher and higher as Venetians lose more and more ground in their art. one of
our party paid a high price, and i wondered, as others my research shows,
whether she’d been taken. however, the more curtains i pulled back, the more my
heart slowed. it might have been possible to pay less. she may have paid the
tourist price, but let’s not forget, we are tourists.
and tourism is the foundation
of the venetian economy, one that becomes more and more tenuous as the city
sinks and sways further into debt. Fredi pointed out the huge advertising
banners in san marco plaza, a concession to investors helping the city with
cleaning and restorations.
on our tour of the Palazzo
Ducale, she introduced us to six women, although maybe fewer if you consider Venezia’s
propensity for disguises. first, there was the courtesan spotlighted in the
waiting room of the palace, part of an elaborate pictorial signaling Venezia’s
universal welcome to those with ‘wit or wealth.’ second, was Venezia herself greeting
us in the discussion room and portrayed as royalty. she hosted peace and justice,
two more female figures. next was the virgin in blue always holding her child. and
last (random) was St. Catherine, depicted as a princess bride to the infant in
the virgin’s arms. interestingly, St. Catherine closely resembled Queen
Venezia, as well as the courtesan in blue who greeted us.
Venice is all of these
in one – a mother to the one who is seeking, a rich and generous queen, lover
to/of peace and justice both, and a courtesan to those who catch her fancy or who
promise her a paycheck. who is Venezia? perhaps it is more important to ask who
one wants or needs her to be.
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