Alice Lascelles sits down with founder Bec Astley Clarke to talk vintage Italian barware.
I don’t think I knew what real yearning was until I discovered The Italian Collector – the Florence-based antiques dealer founded by jewellery designer Bec Astley Clarke MBE. Each piece sourced for its ‘aperitivo’ collection is a hymn to the elegance of the cocktail hour, from the colored Murano glass coupes and mid-century shakers to the little silver bowls for olives and crisps.
“The aperitivo is such an important part of living in Italy, it’s ingrained in every day life,” says Astley Clarke, who moved to Umbria with her young family 15 years ago “looking for adventure” and now divides her time between the country and Florence where she has her by-appointment bottega, or gallery. “There are so many beautiful vintage pieces to be found, which have a kind of craftsmanship, a beauty to them, I think you rarely see today.”
The hunt for new pieces takes her all over the country, from flea markets and auctions to warehouses and private homes. “A contact might tell me so-and-so is selling their palazzo, you should go and take a look, or I’ve driven past an old cinema that’s being closed down or a bar where all the builders are outside and all of a sudden there are these amazing old Martini signs being brought out,” she says. “I really love the sourcing and also telling the story of where we found each piece.”
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Hand-blown Murano glass – drinking vessels, bowls, vases, decanters – is a speciality. “My most amazing find this year were these unbelievable hand-blown glasses from the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s, in an old warehouse in Murano. Each one had these incredible stems, that were almost jewel-like. And glass that’s incredibly fine, in these quite muted colours – pale blue, mauve, champagne, rose – that you just don’t find in modern glassware. Pink glass, in particular, is so rare these days that when I find it I often keep it.”
Sold as ‘unmatched’ or ‘harlequin’ sets of eight, most were snapped up straight away, but a couple of sets were still available online at the time of writing.
“I’m also always on the lookout for drinks trolleys – 1960s Cesare Lacca trolleys particularly. The brass is so well-formed, the wood is beautifully carved, there’s a wonderful symmetry to them. They’re very popular. At the bottega in Florence we always have a drinks trolley set up with an ice bucket, some aperitivo glasses, and a few little silver bowls for snacks.”
Silverware by 1960s modernist designer Lino Sabattini is another Astley Clarke penchant. “His designs are often quite clean and geometric; that pared-back mid-century modern design is something he does really, really well,” she says, citing his sleek silver ‘leaf’ bowls and a minimalist, cylindrical aperitivo set featuring a teak-and-silver jug and matching cups.
“I also love the 1970s Gucci glasses, which have a green and red Gucci band around the glass and a silver base. They’re very Milano chic. Whenever I see a set I snap it up because they are becoming more sought-after every year. We also currently have some amazing sets of cobalt blue Ercole Barovier glasses from the 1920s.” For coffee she favors vintage ceramic espresso cups by Richard Ginori.
Another find in 2026 was a stash of 1920s drinks advertising lithographs including a vast Campari poster by Leonetto Cappiello – at over 20 sq ft it would look very striking in a home bar.
In an age when even the rarest collectable is now often just a Google away, there is something about The Italian Collector’s tightly-curated edit that preserves the thrill of the chase. “It’s hard to say exactly what I’m looking for in a piece, but I always say, when I see it, it’s got to be a full-body ‘yes,’” says Astley Clarke. “Because if I don’t sell a piece, I’ve got to be able to keep it. So I must completely love it. And that, I suppose, is why ultimately, everything sells.”
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Astley Clarke’s favorite aperitivo haunts
“In Florence, going for an aperitivo after work is very common, it’s very civilized. We have aperitivi the whole time.” Her drink of choice is a Negroni sbagliato (Campari, red vermouth, and prosecco), or a glass of Vermentino with some San Carlo crisps (“they are the best!”).
One of her favourite spots for a “grown-up aperitivo” is the classic Florentine watering hole Procacci, which has been operating out of the Centro Storico since 1885; “La Loggia, which is located high up on the Piazzale Michelangelo, also has a very nice view of the city.”
“Often, though, it’s at that simple little neighbourhood bar where you have the nicest time,” she laughs. “I love L’Enoteca dei 4 Leoni just near our gallery for a chilled glass of white wine and some crisps.” The Italian Collector’s bottega also has a roof terrace where they often entertain.
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