This vintage handheld vanity mirror is a stunning piece of Italian artistry. The mirror features beautiful blue flowers, hand-blown glass, and is made in Murano, Italy.

The mirror is in very good vintage condition.

The mirror is 12.25 inches long and 6.75 inches wide.

I acquired the piece from an estate in Hammond, Louisiana. The estate was a 1970s time capsule with lots of needlework pieces and an international collection of treasures. The gentleman of the house was in the military as a younger man and later became a professional musician and head of the local university band. The lady of the house was a music teacher at the high school level. They traveled frequently to Eastern Europe. I have more from their collection in my shop.

The origins of Venetian glassmaking trace back to the Roman Empire, when molded glass was used to illuminate bathhouses. Venice blended Roman techniques with skills learned from the Byzantine Empire and trade with the Orient, becoming a prominent glassmaking hub by the 8th century. Archaeological evidence of an early furnace from this era was uncovered in 1960.

By the late 1200s, glass production was Venice’s key industry, regulated by a Glassmakers Guild that protected trade secrets and ensured profitability. A 1271 law banned foreign glass imports and employment of non-local glassmakers. In 1291, glass furnaces were moved to Murano, officially to prevent fires in Venice’s wooden structures. Historians suggest the true motive was to isolate craftsmen and preserve trade secrets, reinforced by a 1295 law barring glassmakers from leaving Venice.

Glassmakers enjoyed privileged social status, ensuring knowledge stayed within families. This system, along with Venice’s prime location, secured centuries of European glassmaking dominance.