Dino Martens pieces are some of the most recognizable glass works from 20th century Italian art. His innovative use of bright metallic colors using huge murrini (glass rods with colors or images in them) and fantastical shapes make Dino Martens one of the great creators of modern glass art.

Martens was born in Venice in 1894. He went on to study at the Accademia di Belle Art, where he developed his skills as a painter. He exhibited in Venice as a young man in the 1920’s and by the end of the decade was a designer for Salviati & Co, a leading glass maker.

After fighting in the African War, Dino Martens took up the position of artistic director at Aureliano Toso, a famed glass maker where he became a legend. There he ex...