Ermanno Nason
Maestro Ermanno Nason was born in Murano in 1928 from one of the oldest families in Murano; the first records of the family Nason name dates back to 1300. Mr. Nason started working at his father’s glass factory when he was 9 years old; he always said that the only way to learn effectively the art of glass making is to start at a very young age, watching closely and working next to great Masters of greater skills. After primary school, Mr. Nason attended the Drawing School for glass making apprentices, where he studied with Professor Vittorio Zecchin and Professor Luigi Scarpa Croce, dividing his time between classes and work in the furnace. In 1952 he was promoted ‘Maestro di prima piazza’ (i.e. leading Master in the glass furnace, the equivalent of a “first violin” in the music field).In 1953 a revolution took place in the world of glass: a number of celebrated artists – such as Chagall, Cocteau, Borsi, Picasso, Arnoldi, Arp, Guttuso, Klee, Kokoscha, Saetti, Max Ernst, Le Corbusier, Fontana, Minguzzi, Underwasser, Brindisi, etc. – draw some designs to be made out of glass, and Maestro Ermanno Nason was one of the greatest executors. Mr. Nason distinguished himself from the other craftsmen by his impeccable elegance of dress and manner, and most of all by his ability to create shapes and volumes without a single moment of hesitation – working without having to correct his error for, practically speaking, he rarely committed one. He specialized in the glass making technique called a massello, in which a block of glassy mass is stretched, shaped and fused, allowing multiple pieces to be joined without seams. From 1965 to 1972, Mr. Nason worked for the Gino Cenedese glass factory creating some original pieces of his own design, as well as executing designs of Professor Antonio Da Ros (Cenedese‘s resident designer) and other famous artists – such as Harold Stevenson and Silvestri.
At Cenedese he was allowed to abandon routine production and work freely, innovating as he pleased; some pieces are bold and abstract, works no longer subject to judgement or expectations by others.
Mr. Nason continued working in the furnace until 1993; his masterpieces are exhibited in museums all over the world, or are part of private collections.
Maestro Ermanno Nason died in Jaunary 2013.