Anatra by Toni Zuccheri

“Anatra” glass sculpture designed by Toni Zuccheri for Venini as part of his distinctive exploration of the animal world.

Inspired by the forms and colours of a mallard duck, the sculpture combines richly contrasting polychrome glass. The rounded breast is rendered in warm reddish-brown tones, while the body combines opaque white with deep brown, black and blue glass, animated by fluid inclusions suggesting the bird’s plumage. The dark head is highlighted by a vivid yellow beak and applied eyes, giving the sculpture a remarkably expressive presence.

The compact, streamlined silhouette recalls traditional duck decoys, whose forms provided Zuccheri with inspiration for several of his animal sculptures. Translated into Murano glass, these familiar forms become sculptural objects in which colour, texture and the fluid qualities of the material play an essential role.

Toni Zuccheri began collaborating with Venini in the early 1960s and developed an extensive bestiary of birds and animals, combining his interest in nature with the technical possibilities of Murano glass. These animal sculptures became one of the most distinctive aspects of his work for the celebrated Venetian glassmaker.