This vibrant handblown work of mid-century Japanese 'Fazzoletto' art glass is by Iwatsu Hineri glassworks. Glass collectors familiar with the Murano technique Fazzoletto (translation 'handkerchief) will know that this is the art of crafting glass to mimic the elegant flowing folds of fabric.
Elegant and graceful, the curves that shape the 5 lobed 'petals' create an organic 'unfurling' from the centre. The Iwatsu Hineri interpretation of the Fazzoletto technique, this particular piece has the rarer colour palette of Buttercup yellow, Scarlet red and Electric blue vs the more common Apricot peach, Scarlet red and Violet purple palette.
The colours swirl gloriously from the centre within the clear-cased base with the capturing of colour rival to the Murano Sommerso ['submerged'] technique. The interior of the vase enables a view of the swirling into the varying intensities of colour into the folds and lobes of the vase.
Amongst collectors, the skill and quality applied in creating Japanese art glass is very much known to rival its Western counterparts and can often be more difficult to find.
CONDITION
Excellent. There are faint movement marks that are on the underside of the base. All wear is commensurable with age. Please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the base has a concave pontil that is a known finishing touch of Iwatsu.
MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 5.8" / 14.7 cm (base to rim). Width: c. 7.4" / 18.8 cm (across widest point). Base measurement: c. 2.2" / 5.7 cm (across widest point). Unpackaged weight: c. 1.2 kg / 1,205 g
NOTES
Vase will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.
A BIT OF HISTORY
Iwatsu Glassworks
Unfortunately, little is known about Iwatsu despite being one of the largest glassmakers in Japan, the commonly cited and understood reason is due to language barriers. However, Iwatsu is deemed to have produced art glass under the Hineri and Art Glass labels before closing in the 1990s. Iwatsu were known to have been based in Osaka in Japan, producing colourful art glass during the 1970s. The quality and style of their work rivalled and is often mistaken for, Italian Murano glass and Czech glass from the same period.