latticinio glass

decorative arts

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

Latticinio is a type of decorative glass characterized by the incorporation of milk-white canes or threads within the glass itself. This technique is primarily associated with Murano, an island near Venice, Italy, which has a long history of glassmaking dating back to at least the 13th century.12

Venetian glassmakers, particularly in the 16th century, mastered various decorative techniques, including latticinio. In this method, rods of opaque white glass are embedded in the main body of the glass vessel and worked into intricate patterns. This results in glass that has patterns resembling lace, hence the term "lace glass". The origin of the word "latticinio" comes from the Italian word for dairy products, referencing the milky appearance of the white threads used in the glass.231

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

5 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

glassware
Venice and the façon de Venise
…threads for decorative purposes (latticinio). This form of decoration became progressively more complex; opaque threads were embedded in a matrix of clear glass and then twisted into cables, which were themselves used to build up the wall of a vessel. The height of complexity was reached when a bulb…
Read More
…threads for decorative purposes (latticinio). This form of decoration became progressively more complex; opaque threads were embedded in a matrix of clear glass and then twisted into cables, which were themselves used to build up the wall of a vessel. The height of complexity was reached when a bulb…
Read More

La Granja De San Ildefonso
…classic Venetian techniques such as latticinio (threads of opaque glass embedded in clear glass). What largely distinguishes it from its Venetian counterparts, apart from less consummate technique, is the prevalence of such specifically Spanish vessel forms as the porrón, a spouted wine-drinking vessel; the cántara, a spouted water vessel; and…
Read More
…classic Venetian techniques such as latticinio (threads of opaque glass embedded in clear glass). What largely distinguishes it from its Venetian counterparts, apart from less consummate technique, is the prevalence of such specifically Spanish vessel forms as the porrón, a spouted wine-drinking vessel; the cántara, a spouted water vessel; and…
Read More

Venetian glass
…marble and other stones; and latticinio, in which rods of opaque, usually white, glass were incorporated in the body of the glass vessel and worked in patterns. Diamond-engraving was made possible in the 16th century by the improvements that had been made in the quality of the glass.
Read More
…marble and other stones; and latticinio, in which rods of opaque, usually white, glass were incorporated in the body of the glass vessel and worked in patterns. Diamond-engraving was made possible in the 16th century by the improvements that had been made in the quality of the glass.
Read More