Catalog (122)

Skillfully sculpted in the late 1800's, this exquisite leaf compote is shrouded in a generous coating of gold aventurine. The leaf portion is very thin and masterfully executed freehand. The stem is hollow, and it and the foot are blown into a rib mold and are hot worked into a spiral pattern. At around age 120, the leaf compote is in perfect condition. Measuring 3.5"x6"x6.5"h., the piece is unmarked.

Exceptional bowl form with scrolled rim by Ercole Barovier. It is in excellent condition, no damage, unmarked. 11"w x 5"h x 5.5"d. Available at a reduced rate if purchased with the group at item 073. They belong together.

Superb and very tall lamp by Ercole Barovier. It is in great condition! The hardware has an attractive patina commensurate with its age. The lamp is nicely complemented by the vase and bowl of the previous listings. Lamp measures 28" to the top of the glass and 44" to the top of the finial.

The sophisticated designer arrangement of murrine in this paperweight is notable. The leaf murrine can be found in other Toso paperweights. The green center of the flower murrine is nicely tied in to the leaf motif. The murrine are cased in crystal and this lattice type layer of murrine gives the weight a nice airy quality. Measuring 3.75 dia. x 2.75"h., the paperweight is in excellent condition, unmarked.

Classic vase form in mezza filigrana using lattimo and transparent copper blue threads. The form is augmented with side applications of basilica rope in crystal with gold aventurine and a crimped crystal lip decoration with gold aventurine. Measuring 6"dia.x 9"h., the vase is in excellent condition and bears portions of its round silver foil Made in Italy label described in Leslie Pina's ITALIAN GLASS, page 15.

Superb Murano glass figurines by Alfredo Barbini. A colleague in Venice who is a dealer in Vintage Murano Glass told me he witnessed these figurines being made at the Barbini factory in the 1950's. They are in good condition: the red coated Moor at 10" tall is in pristine condition and the white suited one at 13.5" has a repair at the rear neck area which is not so apparent. These are excellent examples of the skill and amazing prowess that the Muranese masters possess over this magical material. They were found in the basement of an estate that was being liquidated and are a rare find!

Ruby and crystal cornucopia pair in excellent condition. These can be vases, but the horizontal presentation of the cornucopia pair is sculptural and dramatic. These were protected over the years with felt pads at the crystal feet. Each piece is 14"h x 8" x 8". The dimension of the main photo horizontal display of the two forms is 22". Similar cornucopia by Seguso can be found in Leslie Pinas book "ARCHIMEDE SEGUSO", pgs. 202-206

Diminutive fazzoletto vase made from latticino and zanfrico canes. Measuring 4"x4"x2.75"h., the vase bears a worn but identifiable Seguso label from the mid-fifties.

This bowl is an excellent example of Murano glassblowers using the traditional technique of filigrana or latticino and applying this to a modern expression. The vessel walls are .5" - .75" thick, and the filigrana rods are imbedded in the thick walls of the form. Alternating rods contain aventurine. I have seen the exact same design with the Fratelli Toso blue foil label. Measuring 8" x 8" x 2.75"h. the bowl is in good condition, with expected wear on the base.

This unusual transparent window murrine vase by Fratelli Toso is documented in Leslie Pinas "FRATELLI TOSO", pg.68. Titled "Tiffany Windows" because of the transperent murrines, this vessel is amazing in good light and an excellent example of the Murano Glassblowers skill. Every murrine is transparent, allowing the light to flow through nicely and reminds one of "the colors of Murano"! Measuring 5.25" tall, the vase is in excellent condition and retains the made in Murano Italy label.

Striking, tall, a canne verticale vase attributed to Fratelli Toso. Similar designs are shown in Leslie Pinas book "Fratelli Toso" pgs, 22-23. It requires great skill to keep the canes from spiraling, especially in a tall piece. The craftsman who made this kept the canes perfectly vertical. Composed of alternating black and opaline canes, the space between the canes appears to be silver, but on closer inspection the spaces are clear glass which allow light to pass through the piece. This beauty is 16.5" tall and 4" wide at the base, in excellent condition, unmarked.

It is notable that both front and back surfaces of this fine aquarium are ground flat and polished, providing a crisp view of the finely crafted fish. The polishing is a considerable amount of work not usually seen in most Murano glass aquariums. I'm not sure who made this, but the surface polishing, fine detail of the polychrome fish, and the inclusion of glass thread and real sand between the layers of glass clearly render this a unique creation. Again, we see how the natural surrounding of the Lagoon inspires creativity. Measuring 9"w x 5"h x2.25"d, the aquarium is in excellent condition and retains two labels.

Exquisite Barovier bowl and pestle set profusely filled with an aventurine gold spiral pattern on the interior with an exterior thread of blue/green lattimo. The rim of the bowl has a scissor cut which lends a dramatic modern aesthetic to the form. It is unusual to find these sets together. This one is a beauty! It is 7"x2"h, in excellent condition, unmarked, but clearly Barovier.

Exquisitely detailed clown sculpture in a variety of polychrome techniques with aventurine. There are remnants of a paper label. I'm not sure who made this, but my colleagues in Murano responded to the piece with a resounding "bello"! 9"h x3.5" x 3.5"

Flavio Poli designed 5 variations of this fine example of Modern Design for Seguso Vetri D'Arte in the 1930's. Marc Heiremans' "SEGUSO VETRI D'ARTE" documents this sculptural bowl form: Model #3434, P. 85. This beauty is done in the "pesco oro" technique, with gold foil embedded to enhance the richness of the material. Thick sculpted glass to the exterior produces a modernist form which beautifully catches light. It measures 2 1/4"H, 6"D and is in excellent condition.

This charming pair of sculpted boxer dogs by Archimede Seguso is in excellent condition and both retain Seguso labels. One of the labels is described in Leslie Pinas book, "Archimede Seguso", as the label applied to artistic designs. The large dog is 8" x 5" tall, and the puppy is 6"tall.

In Marc Heiremans' book ARCHIMEDE SEGUSO this "a canne ritorte" design is documented on page 82. The execution and finish of this fazzoletto confirm the Murano Artisans' mastery of working with Glass and would be a fine addition to any serious collection of 20th Century Murano Glass. The pontil mark on the bottom has been carved out and polished, indicating careful attention to details. The piece measures 4 1/2"H x 6" D. Condition is perfect.

20th century Murano glass bell by Fratelli Toso is constructed of multi-colored murrine with crystal handle. The Bell has a satin finish and retains the rooster and KB labels. At 5.25"h x 2.75"w, the Bell is in excellent condition