This striking and vivid work of handblown, Italian mid-century art glass design brings with it the beauty created by expert Murano art glass techniques.
The form is that of a stylised, unfurling splash, expertly hot-worked into the elegantly dramatic form with vibrantly flourishing and poised tips. The base colour is the iconic and rich Murano Scarlet red, classic to the mid-century period which cascades into the companion Candy red and Amber and encasing petals of Midnight blue. The encasing of colour within colour is the well-known technique name Sommerso. One of the most commonly known Murano techniques characterised by an outer layer of glass with the effect of definitively capturing colour.
The form of this piece is distinctive as not are the petals of Midnight blue captured with the Sommerso technique but the overall form was also 'pulled' when the glass was molten to create the ridged and highly tactile effect. The compound effect from the different techniques has created a superb canvas for the refraction of light.
The iconic colour palette, form and majestic size make this piece excellent for a standalone display.
CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks or repair. There is negligible surface wear and movement marks on the underside of the base that is commensurable with the age of the piece - please see photos as they form part of the condition report.
MEASUREMENTS
Height: c.7.5" / 19 cm tall (from base to tip) x c.19.7" / 50 cm in length (across longest point). Width: c. 9" / 23 cm. Base measurements: c. 4.1" / 10.5 cm x 3.7" / 9.5 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 2.6 kg / 2,640 g
A BIT OF HISTORY
The Sommerso [Literal translation 'submerged'] technique was brought to fame by Archimede Seguso c.1950s, prior to his exploration into the Bullicante technique. The technique is used to create layers of glass - often several layers and usually with different contrasting colours - inside a single object, giving the illusion of “immersed” colours without mixing. The different layers of glass are put through heat, repeatedly immersing them in pots of molten coloured glass before being encased in an outer layer of colourless glass.