Colourful Murano bowls and glass art from Venice

Murano bowls are small works of art: mouth-blown on the glassmakers' island off Venice, no two pieces alike.

At 2nd home you will find used and vintage bowls in Murano glass, mainly from the 1950s to the 1980s, including works by Barovier und Toso, Venini, Formia Vetri and Empoli. Every bowl is individually checked, photographed and shipped safely packed. Because each piece is mouth-blown, you always receive a one-off: the colour, the tiny air bubbles and the sweep of the shape exist exactly once. If you want to browse more widely, our Murano glass collection also carries vases and lamps, and you will find related shapes among the trays and bowls.

How do you recognise a genuine Murano bowl?

By the glass itself: satisfying weight, luminous colours and techniques unique to Murano, such as enclosed gold dust (avventurina), layered colours in the sommerso style or the millefiori pattern made of glass rods. Many workshops signed with a label or engraving; the provenance of each piece is stated in our product description.

What is a Murano bowl good for?

As a fruit bowl on the dining table, an eye-catcher on the sideboard or a tray for keys and jewellery in the hallway. The strong tones from turquoise and cranberry to amber add accents to calm interiors, and the glass looks best next to understated furniture.

Why buy vintage?

A pre-owned Murano bowl is living craft history and the most sustainable choice at once: the piece stays in circulation instead of being produced anew. Many designs are also long out of production and only available second-hand.

Colourful Murano bowls and glass art from Venice

  • Murano glass is the best-known glass art in Europe, and bowls are its most approachable form. If you want to go deeper, we also carry Murano vases and glass, Murano lamps and Murano ashtrays, every piece checked and described individually.

    Shapes and techniques from Murano

    From flat serving dishes and shell shapes to heavy fruit bowls: the island workshops master dozens of techniques. Most often you will meet sommerso with its layered colours, avventurina with enclosed gold dust and the intricate millefiori pattern.

    Related collections

    Renowned workshops

    Barovier und Toso is one of the oldest glass dynasties in the world, Venini shaped post-war modernism with designers like Sergio Asti, Formia Vetri and the Empoli workshops stand for colour-saturated everyday production. You will always find such attributions right on the product page.

  • Sustainability: glass with a second life

    Glass lasts for generations if you let it. Every bowl that is passed on instead of bought new saves energy and material, and Murano glass loses none of its presence along the way. Vintage is not a compromise here, it is the better-looking choice.

    How to style Murano bowls

    A single bowl is strongest on calm ground: light wood, stone or an understated sideboard. Several pieces in related tones become a collection with character. Warm amber and green tones sit particularly well with teak and mid-century furniture.

    What connoisseurs look for

    • Pontil mark on the base: the scar of the glassmaker’s rod points to mouth-blowing
    • Colour gradients and layers: clearly separated in sommerso, never washed out
    • Original labels of workshops such as Barovier und Toso or Venini
    • Condition: small chips on the rim reduce value and joy

    Keep browsing

    Glass art does not stop in Venice: you will find cut pieces in our crystal and lead crystal collection, and vintage tableware completes the table.

Frequently asked questions and answers

How do I recognise genuine Murano glass?

By weight, depth of colour and technique: avventurina with gold dust, sommerso with layered colours or millefiori made of glass rods are typical Murano marks. Labels and engravings help, but have not survived on every old piece; with us the provenance is stated in the product description.

What makes a Murano bowl valuable?

Workshop, technique and condition. Signed works by renowned houses such as Barovier und Toso or Venini fetch the highest prices, elaborate techniques like sommerso or millefiori add value, chips and scratches reduce it. Age alone does not make a bowl valuable.

How do I clean and care for Murano glass?

With lukewarm water, mild washing-up liquid and a soft cloth, never in the dishwasher. Avoid hard sponges and abrupt temperature changes, both can damage shine and glass. Wiping dry prevents limescale marks on the coloured layers.

Can I use a Murano bowl every day?

Yes, as a fruit bowl, for bread or as a catch-all tray. Murano glass is solid and suited to daily life, it is just not made for hot food or the dishwasher. Many of our customers deliberately use their bowls every day instead of locking them away.

What period are the bowls at 2nd home from?

The focus is on the 1950s to 1980s, from classic modernism to pop art designs. The exact decade and, where known, workshop and designer are stated in each description.

Are these Murano bowls vintage or used?

Both. Vintage means pieces of roughly 20 years or older with a design language of their own, used simply means they have already had a home. Age, condition and origin are listed with every bowl, so you know exactly what you are getting.

Can I sell my own Murano bowl through you?

Yes. Submit your bowl with photos through our sell page, we check condition and demand and come back to you with an assessment.

How safely will a glass bowl reach me?

Every bowl is individually packed in generous padding and shipped insured. If anything should happen after all, our service team will help quickly and without fuss.

  • curation, selection and active search

    Every product you find on 2nd home comes from our curation and quality process . This includes our Murano bowls - from new to used and vintage.

    Our team is constantly looking for trends and new items to offer you high-quality vintage and second-hand goods and plenty of inspiration.

    And if you are looking for something specific, you can contact us at any time.

  • Delivery

    At 2nd home you don't have to wait long for delivery, our furniture , carpets , lights and decorative objects are available for immediate delivery. Another advantage when you buy vintage and second hand.

    For more information about shipping and delivery , see Returns & Refunds .

  • service

    At 2nd home we place great importance on quality and customer satisfaction. Although we offer vintage and second-hand furniture, we carefully inspect each piece.

    If you have any questions, our customer service will help you You can find further information about our buyer protection, guarantee and right of return in our cancellation policy .

  • sustainability

    By selling second-hand furniture, we promote reuse and reduce the consumption of resources. At the same time, we reduce CO2 emissions.

    You can find out more on our sustainability page.

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