Archive for the ‘Art Glass’ Category

We are impressed with the sheer vibrancy of this ´Uranium´ technique ´Sommerso´ vase created Antonio Da Ros for renowned Italian glassblowers Cenedese.

In 1959 Antonio Da Ros became the artistic director of Cenedese, a small glass factory based on the island of Murano where he would frequently design pieces using the Sommerso technique, often with ‘Uranium’ green glass which has the unique characteristic of glowing  brightly in ultra violet light!

Circa 1960

The simplicity of form and unique colour  of this vase by designer Nanny Still for Finnish glass company Riihimaen captures the essence of what is truly great about Scandinavian modernist glass.

The Scandinavian approach of ‘less is more’  permeates through out all aspects of design and architecture that emerge from Scandinavia from the 1940′s onwards.

In the case of glass timing is everything and knowing when to stop once a form is created is essential to the modernist aesthetic. The Scandinavians certainly have the gift of reaching the point in the creative process where an amazing form is created and then stepping back, acknowledging nothing further is needed  to improve on the simplicity of the form.

The colour of this vase is also very unique and best described as ‘Teal’,  it is a colour that we seldom see in any modernist glass!

Engraved on base ‘Rihimaen Lasi O.Y. Nanny Still‘ and also with original  ‘Made in Finland’ paper label

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We always aim to show our clients beautiful examples of modernist glass  from Scandinavia, Italy, Czechoslovakia and beyond.

We are  excited to present this  very beautiful and rare ´Śommerso´ glass sculpture by virtuoso glass designer Flavio Poli.

The  tear drop shaped sculpture was created for the Italian company Seguso Vetri D´Arte based on the Island of Murano, and is dated around 1950.

The striking coloured layers are known as ´Sommerso´, which roughly translates as ´submerge´ in Italian. This technique was perfected by another skilled glass designer named Carlo Scarpa for Venini back in the 1930´s.

However, it was Flavio Poli, working for Seguso Vetri d’Arte, that became the foremost producer of this type of glass during the mid-20th century.

The process of ´Sommerso´ is a highly skilled one with very little margin for error. It involved blowing a layer of coloured glass and then while still molten dipping it into another contrasting coloured layer. The process is repeated depending on how many layers the artisan requires.  The whole item is then encased in a layer of clear glass. If this technique is executed correctly the colours appear to just float within the glass.

The striking colour combination and the fact that Flavio Poli´s creation of glass sculpture was limited makes this a truly special example.

We currently have this very beautiful light blue cased glass bowl. It is a wonderful example of a type of internal decoration known as ´Graal´ This decoration is achieved by encasing opaque coloured glass between multiple layers of clear or tinted glass to produce complex internal pattens.

The technique was developed by the Swedish glass factory Orrefors in the 1930´s. This piece is attributed to a rival glass factory of the period, either Kosta Boda or Stromberg, Sweden. Dated late 1950´s early 1960´s this piece truly is a miniature glass sculpture!

This cobalt blue footed bowl is a beautiful example of the Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala. The lines are truly modernist and look as relevant today as when it was designed in the late 1960´s. Signed on the base.

Some beautiful examples of Scandinavian modernist glass……