![\"The](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/07\/1930sperfectlyunmatchedmuranococktailwineglasses3-scaled-e1785418352747-300x174.jpg\")
<\/div>\nI don\u2019t think I knew what real yearning was until I discovered The Italian Collector<\/a> \u2013\u00a0the Florence-based antiques dealer founded by jewellery designer Bec Astley Clarke MBE<\/a>. Each piece sourced for its \u2018aperitivo\u2019 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. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe aperitivo is such an important part of living in Italy, it\u2019s ingrained in every day life,\u201d says Astley Clarke, who moved to Umbria with her young family 15 years ago \u201clooking for adventure\u201d and now divides her time between the country and Florence where she has her by-appointment bottega, or gallery. \u201cThere 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The hunt for new pieces takes her all over the country, from flea markets and auctions to warehouses and private homes. \u201cA contact might tell me so-and-so is selling their palazzo, you should go and take a look, or I\u2019ve driven past an old cinema that\u2019s 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,\u201d she says. \u201cI really love the sourcing and also telling the story of where we found each piece.\u201d<\/p>\n See more: Louis Roederer at 250: How Champagne\u2019s Most Admired Brand Stays Ahead<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Hand-blown Murano glass \u2013\u00a0drinking vessels, bowls, vases, decanters \u2013\u00a0is a speciality. \u201cMy 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\u2019s incredibly fine, in these quite muted colours \u2013 pale blue, mauve, champagne, rose \u2013\u00a0that you just don\u2019t find in modern glassware. Pink glass, in particular, is so rare these days that when I find it I often keep it.\u201d<\/p>\n Sold as \u2018unmatched\u2019 or \u2018harlequin\u2019 sets of eight, most were snapped up straight away, but a couple<\/a> of sets were still available online at the time of writing.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m also always on the lookout for drinks trolleys \u2013 1960s Cesare Lacca trolleys particularly. The brass is so well-formed, the wood is beautifully carved, there\u2019s a wonderful symmetry to them. They\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Silverware by 1960s modernist designer Lino Sabattini <\/a>is another Astley Clarke penchant. \u201cHis designs are often quite clean and geometric; that pared-back mid-century modern design is something he does really, really well,\u201d she says, citing his sleek silver ‘leaf’ bowls and a minimalist, cylindrical aperitivo set<\/a> featuring a teak-and-silver jug and matching cups.<\/p>\n \u201cI also love the 1970s Gucci glasses, which have a green and red Gucci band around the glass and a silver base. They\u2019re 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.\u201d For coffee she favors vintage ceramic espresso cups by Richard Ginori.<\/p>\n Another find in 2026 was a stash of 1920s drinks advertising lithographs including a vast Campari poster<\/a> by Leonetto Cappiello \u2013 at over 20 sq ft it would look very striking in a home bar.<\/p>\n In an age when even the rarest collectable is now often just a Google away, there is something about The Italian Collector\u2019s tightly-curated edit that preserves the thrill of the chase. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to say exactly what I\u2019m looking for in a piece, but I always say, when I see it, it\u2019s got to be a full-body \u2018yes,\u2019\u201d says Astley Clarke. \u201cBecause if I don\u2019t sell a piece, I\u2019ve got to be able to keep it. So I must completely<\/em> love it. And that, I suppose, is why ultimately, everything sells.\u201d<\/p>\n See more: The Resurrection of the Cosmopolitan\u00a0Cocktail<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIn Florence, going for an aperitivo after work is very common, it\u2019s very civilized. We have aperitivi the whole time.\u201d Her drink of choice is a Negroni sbagliato (Campari, red vermouth, and prosecco), or a glass of Vermentino with some San Carlo crisps (\u201cthey are the best!\u201d).<\/p>\n One of her favourite spots for a \u201cgrown-up aperitivo\u201d is the classic Florentine watering hole Procacci<\/a>, which has been operating out of the Centro Storico since 1885; \u201cLa Loggia<\/a>, which is located high up on the Piazzale Michelangelo, also has a very nice view of the city.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"the](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/07\/theitalianbottega-101-1920x2560.jpg\")
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Astley Clarke’s favorite aperitivo haunts<\/h2>\n
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