Napoleone Martinuzzi

A sculptor, designer, and entrepreneur in the glassmaking industry, Napoleone Martinuzzi was trained at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice. Gabriele D’Annunzio’s favourite, he started creating several works for the latter in 1917. 
From 1922 to 1931, he directed the Glassmaking Museum in Murano. Then, he began working for the company Succ. Andrea Rioda and founded “Vetri Soffiati Muranesi Venini & C.” with Paolo Venini and Francesco Zecchin, where he became the artistic director. 
After an initial period in which he continued working with the artistic concepts of his predecessor Vittorio Zecchin, creating beautiful pieces in hand-blown glass, he started elaborating his own style which derives from his experience as a sculptor. 
In 1932, he left VENINI and founded “Zecchin-Martinuzzi Vetri Artistici e Mosaici” with Francesco Zecchin. Here, he created pieces in refined, matt and pulegoso glass with a remarkable plastic effect.

VENINI X Dolce&Gabbana Déco Vase

The Small Carretto Venini Glass Vase is a stunning result of a collaboration between the legendary Venetian master glassmakers from the historic VENINI Fornace and the fashion brand Dolce&Gabbana. This large Déco vase, made from Murano glass, draws inspiration from a famous creation by Napoleone Martinuzzi from the 1930s. It is reimagined with a color palette inspired by the Carretto Siciliano, a traditional, folkloric element from Sicily that represents the region's vibrant landscapes, cultural heritage, and artisanal craftsmanship. These characteristics have long been central to Dolce&Gabbana's aesthetic, blending the rich, colorful traditions of Sicily with the refined techniques of Murano glassmaking.