Murano Bowl, ruby red with silver foil and Bullicante, Barovier & Toso style, 1960s/70s

Sculptural Murano bowl in ruby red with encased silver foil and regular bullicante bubbles, crafted in one of the Venetian fornaci on the glassblowing island of Murano, 1960s to early 1970s. The handkerchief-like shape with four raised, wavy points and a deep central basin makes the bowl equally suitable as a flower vase, a vide-poche for keys and jewelry, or a generous ashtray of post-war home décor. With a diameter of 13 cm and a height of 5.5 cm, it is the ideal size for a side table, sideboard, or console. Three techniques are combined in a single thick-walled body: the rich ruby red color layer is encased in clear crystal using the Sommerso technique, silver leaf particles float as glittering specks throughout the crystal casing (the Venetian "a foglia d'argento" technique), and in the thick base, the Bullicante bubble shows its characteristic grid of uniformly sized controlled air bubbles. In glancing light, the bowl sparkles like a ruby red starry sky.

Very good vintage condition: no chips, no scratches, silver foil intact and without oxidation spots, bubbles clear. The piece has the typical characteristics of the better Murano workshops of the 1960s – the combination of Bullicante with silver foil in ruby red was the hallmark of houses like Barovier & Toso, Alfredo Barbini, and Archimede Seguso. Even without a preserved factory mark, the stylistic kinship remains clearly recognizable and makes the bowl a collector's item for lovers of Venetian art glass.