Antiques -- Antichita Santomanco, Frezzeria, San Marco 1504 (tel. 041-5236643), is for the well-heeled serious collector. It deals in antique furniture, jewels, silver, prints, and old Murano glass. Of course, the merchandise is ever-changing, but you're likely to pick up some little heirloom item in the midst of the clutter. Many of the items date from the Venetian heyday of the 1600s.
Books -- The most centrally located bookstore is the Libreria Sansovino, Bacino Orseolo, San Marco 84 (tel. 041-5222623), to the north of Piazza San Marco. It carries both hard- and softcover books in English.
Brass -- Founded in 1913, Valese Fonditore, Calle Fiubera, San Marco 793 (tel. 041-5227282), serves as a showcase for one of the most famous of the several foundries with headquarters in Venice. Many of the brass copies of 18th-century chandeliers produced by this company grace fine homes in the United States and become valuable family heirlooms. Some of the most appealing objects are the 50 or 60 replicas of the brass seahorses that grace the sides of many of the gondolas. A pair of medium-size ones, each about 11 inches tall, begins at 150€.
Carnevale Masks -- Venetian masks, considered collectors' items, originated during Carnevale, which takes place the week before the beginning of Lent. In the old days there was a good reason to wear masks during the riotous Carnevale -- they helped wives and husbands be unfaithful to one another and priests break their vows of chastity. Things got so out of hand that Carnevale was banned in the late 18th century. But it came back, and the masks went on again.
You can find shops selling masks practically on every corner. As with glass and lace, however, quality varies. Many masks are great artistic expressions, while others are shoddy and cheap. The most sought-after mask is the Portafortuna (luck bringer), with its long nose and birdlike visage. Orientale masks evoke the heyday of the Serene Republic and its trade with the Far East. The Bauta was worn by men to assert their macho qualities, and the Neutra blends the facial characteristics of both sexes. The list of masks and their origins seems endless.
The best place to buy Carnevale masks is Mondonovo, Rio Terrà Canal, Dorsoduro 3063 (tel. 041-5287344), where talented artisans labor to produce copies of both traditional and more modern masks, each of which is one-of-a-kind and richly nuanced with references to Venetian lore and traditions. Prices range from 25€ for a fairly basic model to 1,500€ for something that you might display on a wall as a piece of sculpture.
Dolls -- The studio/shop Bambole di Frilly, Fondamenta dell'Osmarin, Castello 4974 (tel. 041-5212579), offers dolls with meticulously painted porcelain faces (they call it a "biscuit") and hand-tailored costumes, including dressy pinafores. Prices begin at 15€ and can go as high as 750€, but even the reasonably priced dolls are made with the same painstaking care.
Fabrics -- Select outlets in Venice sell some of the greatest fabrics in the world. Norelene, Calle della Chiesa, Dorsoduro 727 (tel. 041-5237605), sells lustrous hand-printed silks, velvets, and cottons, plus wall hangings and clothing.
Venetia Studium is at two outlets: Calle Larga XXII Marco, San Marzo 2403 (tel. 041-5229281), and a newer shop at Mercerie, San Marco 723 (tel. 041-5229859). For years, Lino Lando worked to crack the secret of fabled designer Mariano Fortuny's plissè (finely pleated silk). Eventually he found the secret. The result can now be yours in his selection of silk accessories, scarves, Delphos gowns, and even silk lamps.
Gaggio Rich, San Marco, San Stefano 3451-3441 (tel. 041-5228574), offers unique items, the most stunning of which are velvets and artistic fabrics with filigree, all inspired by the deep colors and designs of Fortuny. The fabrics are very Venetian and very decadent. You can purchase these fabrics by the meter, or they can be fashioned into clothing, shawls, cushions, or whatever.
Yet another Fortuny-inspired outlet is Vittorio Trois, Campo San Maurizio, San Marco 2666 (tel. 041-5222905). Trois was selected to receive a priceless legacy. The great Mariano Fortuny revealed his exquisite printing techniques to a friend of Trois, the late Contessa Gozzi, and she passed them on to Trois, who made a business of them. Today you can buy the same Fortuny patterns that stunned your grandparents on their visit to Venice decades ago. The radiant designs look like brocade and are sold by the yard.
Fashion -- The Belvest Boutique, Calle Vallaresso, San Marco 1305, near Harry's Bar (tel. 041-5287933), is one of Venice's finest boutiques, specializing in clothing for women and men, handmade and ready-to-wear. Fabric from some of the world's leading cloth makers is used in the designs. Linked with Vogini, the famous purveyor of leather work, the boutique is a bastion of top-quality craftsmanship and high-fashion style.
La Fenice, Calle Larga XXII Marzo, San Marco 2255 (tel. 041-5231273), is a large outlet for a stylish assortment of designers from throughout Europe. The most visible of several members of a city-wide chain, it sells women's clothing from designers such as Moschino, Thierry Mugler, German Rena Lang, and the well-received Turkish-born designer Osbek.
By accident we stumbled on Caberlotto, San Salvador, San Marco 5114 (tel. 041-5229242), with a stunning collection of classic apparel for both women and men, all in jewel-like colors. Head here to see the rich collection of Loro Piana shawls, cashmere sweaters, scarves, and other apparel.
Gifts -- The Bac Art Studio, San Vio, Dorsoduro 862 (tel. 041-5228171), sells paper goods, but it's mainly a graphics gallery, noted for its selection of engravings, posters, and lithographs of Venice at Carnevale time. For the most part, items are reasonably priced, and it's clear that a great deal of care has gone into the choice of merchandise.
Head to Osvaldo Böhm, Salizzada San Moisè, San Marco 1349-1350 (tel. 041-5222255), for that just-right, and light, souvenir of Venice. It has a rich collection of photographic archives specializing in Venetian art, as well as original engravings and maps, lithographs, watercolors, and Venetian masks. You can also see modern serigraphs by local artists and some fine handcrafted bronzes.
Glass -- Venice is crammed with glass shops: It's estimated that there are at least 1,000 in San Marco alone. Unless you go to a top-quality dealer, you'll find that most stores sell both shoddy and high-quality glassware, and often only the most trained eye can tell the difference. A lot of "Venetian glass" isn't from Venice at all, but from the Czech Republic. (Of course, the Czech Republic has some of the finest glassmakers in Europe, so that might not be bad, either.) Buying glass boils down to this: If you like an item, buy it. It might not be high quality, but, then, high quality can cost thousands.
If you're looking for an heirloom, stick to the major houses. One of the oldest (founded in 1866) and largest purveyors of traditional Venetian glass is Pauly & Co., Ponte Consorzi, San Marco 4392 (tel. 041-5209899), with more than two dozen showrooms. Part of the premises is devoted to something akin to a museum, where past successes (now antiques) are displayed. Antique items are only rarely offered for sale; but they can be copied and shipped anywhere, and chandeliers can be electrified to match your standards. They begin at about 1,000€ but can spiral to as much as 500,000€ if you're a Saudi emir who's designing an entire throne room around them.
The art glass sold by Venini, Piazzetta Leoncini, San Marco 314 (tel. 041-5224045), has caught the attention of collectors from all over the world. Many of its pieces, including anything-but-ordinary lamps, bottles, and vases, are works of art representing the best of Venetian craftsmanship. Its best-known glass has a distinctive swirl pattern in several colors, called a venature. This shop is known for the refined quality of its glass, some of which appears almost transparent. Much of it is very fragile, but the shop learned long ago how to ship it anywhere safely. To visit the furnace, call tel. 041-739955.
L'Isola, Campo San Moisè, San Marco 1468 (tel. 041-5231973), is the shop of Carlo Moretti, one of the world's best-known contemporary artisans working in glass. You'll find all his signature designs in decanters, glasses, vases, bowls, and paperweights.
Galleria Marina Barovier, Salizzada San Samuele, San Marco 3216 (tel. 041-5226102), sells some of the most creative modern glass sculptures in Italy. Since it was opened in the early 1980s by its founder, Marina Barovier, in the suburb of Mestre, it has grown until it's now viewed as one of the most glamorous art galleries in the world of glassmaking. Especially sought after are sculptures by master glassmakers Luco Tagliapietra and American artist Dale Chihuly, whose chandeliers represent amusing or dramatic departures from traditional Venetian forms. Anything sold can be shipped.
At Vetri d'Arte, Piazza San Marco 140 (tel. 041-5200205), you can find moderately priced glass jewelry for souvenirs and gifts, as well as a selection of pricier crystal jewelry and porcelain dolls.
Luco Tagliapietra, one of the masters of Venetian glass blowing, has his works distributed by Domus Vetri d'Arte, Fondamenta Vetrai 82, Murano (tel. 041-739215). This artisan, with his cutting-edge sense of design, began blowing glass at age 12 and by age 21 was recognized as a master -- some even called him a genius in glass. Unlike some Venetian glassmakers, inspired by ancient Greece and Rome, Tagliapietra roams the world for inspiration, finding it even in some Native American cultures.
Jewelry -- Since 1846, Missiaglia, Piazza San Marco, San Marco 125 (tel. 041-5224464), has been the supplier to savvy shoppers from around the world seeking the best jewelry. Go here for a special classic piece, such as handcrafted jewelry with a Venetian twist -- everything from a gold gondolier oar pin to a diamond-studded fan brooch with an ebony Carnevale mask. The specialty is colored precious and semiprecious gemstones set in white or yellow gold.
For antique jewelry, there's no shop finer than Codognato, Calle Ascensione, San Marco 1295 (tel. 041-5225042). Some of the great heirloom jewelry of Europe is sent here when estates are settled.
