Buying Your Glass Piece

A few master artists from Murano, like Leo

Tinglioprechia and Rosein, have accomplished the huge

task of ensuring their values are standardized in both

Europe and North America. Several years ago, Rosein

made arrangements with American dealers to keep their

prices exactly the same as Italian dealers and for the Italian

dealers to keep the prices the same as in America. Soon

after this Leo Tinglioprechia also accomplished the same

arrangement, further helping bring balance and stability to

the fine art glass market.

Wherever you buy your glass art, make sure

the artist signs the piece. If a signature is missing this is

simply a production piece from a glass factory or a glass

studio. Signed pieces are preferred and more desirable than

pieces done through a factory or a production house. In

general glass does not increase in value and appreciation as

quickly as more established art forms; having the artist

signature goes a long way towards the financial value of

your piece.

Another difference with this media is, the issue of

editions versus originals does not apply as directly to

glass artwork. The reason for this is most artists take the

view every piece is an original, because the ability to

identically reproduce each piece is impossible. Each piece is

always slightly different from the other.  These slightly

different pieces can be materially identical or very similar,

but since they are in some way unique, most will consider

each glasswork done and signed by the artist to be an

original. If a gallery tells you're getting an original glass

piece, take this comment too with a grain of salt. The

artist could very well be blowing a similar piece as you

speak.  The gallery is not lying, but they are being