THE ITEM
The expert skill of the renowned Fratelli Toso glassworks shines through this piece on many levels - from the graceful and refined shaping, to the exquisite craftsmanship seamlessly combining the red in the body with the amber shades of glass in the curls.
At first glance, you may be drawn to admire the unfurling biomorphic shape, it's as if you're looking at a captured moment in time - of the curves and folds are they gently untwist from the solid base. However, depending on the time and type of day it is, the light which falls on the glass and the surface the glass is on, the colours you encounter will be very different - as can be seen in the photographs.
On a cloudy day, the glass will be deep ruby red. On a sunny day, the rays will highlight a glowing claret red, highlighting the amber tones in the tips of the curls as the light shines through the piece.
This beautifully sculpted piece would be an excellent addition to a room with Vintage, Modernist, Biomorphic, or similar decor themes.
CONDITION
Excellent. No chips or cracks, faint wear (such as movement marks on the base) is present and commensurable with age of piece, please see photos as part of condition report.
MEASUREMENTS
Measures c. 5.1" / 13 cm tall x c. 7.5" / 19 cm across its widest point.
Unpackaged weight: 0.9 kg / 917 g
NOTES
Glass will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured.
Shipping will be combined for multiple items.
A BIT OF HISTORY
Fratelli Toso
In 1854, the Toso brothers of Ferdinando, Carlo Nicolò, Liberato, Angelo, Giovanni, Gregorio started up the Fratelli Toso glass factory, basing it in the former Scuola Grande San Giovanni dei Battuti. During that period, the quality of glass production was quite low all over Murano, mostly made for domestic or pharmaceutical use. But thanks to the help and collaboration offered by Vincenzo Zanetti, the Toso brothers worked hard to recover techniques and know-how to reproduce precious masterpieces produced by hand prior the Fall of Serenissima.
In the following 10 years, the brothers worked tirelessly and in 1864 Fratelli Toso joined a collaboration with other skilled glassmasters to realise an amazing chandelier for the Murano Glass Museum's inauguration. The chandelier is still at the Glass Museum and from this, Fratelli Toso received their first gold medal thanks to this excellent masterpiece - this would be just the start of awards they would receive for glass artistry. Today, Fratelli Toso lives on in Antica Vetreria Fratelli Toso, a traditional Murano glass factory run by Toso family since 1854. The Antica Vetreria Fratelli Toso is run by Arnoldo Toso, a direct descendant from Toso brothers, a leading authority working with museums, collectors and auction houses worldwide.
Sommerso
Sommerso is one of the most commonly known Murano techniques, which in Italian literally means “submerged”. This technique is used to create several layers of glass (usually with different contrasting colors) inside a single object, giving the illusion of “immersed” colours without mixing. The different layers of glass is put through heat, repeatedly immersing them in pots of molten coloured glass. This technique is easily recognisable; characterised by an outer layer of colourless glass and thick layers of coloured glass inside it. The effect is as if a big drop of colour had been captured inside the clear glass.