Glass Engraving with Matteo

Matteo is a renowned master engraver of Murano glass — a fourth-generation artisan who learned the craft alongside his father and earned the title of Engraver Maestro by 2003. Today, he is one of the few remaining practitioners dedicated to the traditional art of wheel engraving—known locally as incisione a mola—a meticulous cold-working technique using stone and diamond wheels to carve glass with extraordinary precision. Nearly three decades into his practice, Matteo humbly says he is still “trying” to master the art.

Specializing in lathe engraving, Matteo uses interchangeable shafts and wheels to engrave intricate details into transparent, colored, and opaque glass. His motifs range from floral and landscape scenes to abstract and figurative forms, often incorporating the battuto technique to create rhythmic, geometric textures across the surface. He merges Murano’s deep-rooted traditions with influences from American glass practices and his own creative intuition. His collaborations with leading glassblowers and international designers, along with his teaching at institutions like the Corning Museum of Glass and Pilchuck Glass School, reflect his ongoing commitment to both mastery and evolution.

Matteo sees engraving as a philosophy. “Being a craftsman is synonymous with freedom, manual skill, creativity, imagination…” he says. Each pass of the wheel is a new act of discovery, and he’s passionate about sharing that sense of wonder.