BAROVIER&TOSO VENICE BOUTIQUE : CUPS OF JOY BY NICHETTO STUDIO

Images courtesy of Barovier&Toso

The Fenice piece is reissued, inspired by the “Piccione Primavera” from the 1930s by Ercole Barovier

The Barovier&Toso boutique in Venice is refreshed for the holiday season with a playful and joyful display, once again curated by Nichetto Studio.

The boutique transforms into a stage for storytelling, a journey centered around the iconic Barovier&Toso Wedding Cup, reimagined as a moving carousel. Along its perimeter, select pieces showcase the mastery of ancient glassmaking.

Luca Nichetto’s words describe the essence of this setup in a whimsical and adventurous tone:

“This magnificent exhibition features a large, rotating burgundy cup with a 360-degree spin, inspired by a beautiful blend of the brand’s iconic blue and red wedding cups. The cup is elegantly adorned with silver details resembling snowflakes. ‘Cups of Joy’ presents a carousel of iconic pieces from the Barovier&Toso collections. The story follows ‘Piccione,’ a lively bird from the flowering fields of Venice, who dreams of singing at the Paris Opera. Along his fantastic journey, he encounters heroic Samurai guardians and seeks a patron—symbolized by a King commissioning ‘Taif’—navigating cleverly past hidden dangers represented by snakes. The adventure culminates in Paris, where Piccione performs atop the magnificent Barovier&Toso chandelier at the Opera.”

Presented by Som Santoso

The “Cups of Joy” installation in Venice also serves as the occasion for an important reissue: Fenice (inspired by the 1930s “Piccione Primavera” by Ercole Barovier), reissued in a limited and numbered edition.

Crafted from hand-blown Venetian crystal with precious platinum leaf inserts, Fenice is limited to just 98 pieces in total, 49 for each of the two variants: a larger grey one and a smaller white one, ideally representing a male and a female specimen. A common element to both, and an absolute innovation compared to Ercole Barovier’s original design, is the cylindrical brushed nickel pedestal, a material contrast that emphasizes the sculptural nature of the piece.

Originally, Fenice was known as “Piccione Primavera” and was produced in limited numbers. The sculpture, designed in the 1930s, depicted an imaginary bird with an elegant and eclectic stance. Almost a century later, Barovier&Toso revisited this iconic design, giving it a more pronounced contemporary form, expressing strength and beauty.

Note: “Piccione Primavera” was the original name Ercole Barovier gave to the sculpture now called Fenice.