Murano Sommerso Centerpiece Bowl, Ruby Red & Amber, 42 cm, 1960s

This large centerpiece bowl in mouth-blown art glass comes from Murano and was most likely made in the 1960s, when free-formed Sommerso bowls shaped at the furnace were among the most sought-after works of the Venetian glass island. In the Sommerso technique, made famous above all by Flavio Poli at Seguso Vetri d’Arte, several coloured layers of glass are “submerged” in thick, clear crystal so that the colour seems to glow from within; the combination of a ruby red casing with a warm amber core is one of the classic Murano colourways of the period. There is no label or signature on this piece, so no specific glassworks or designer is named; form, technique and colouring, however, correspond to the Murano Sommerso bowls known on the international collectors’ market.

The elongated bowl opens into a star-like silhouette: at each end two long, curving points sweep high upwards and finish in clear, colourless drawn crystal tips, while two shorter, softly rounded lobes rise along the long sides. Strong glass ribs radiate outwards from a star-shaped centre in the base, articulate the body sculpturally and continue into the clear ribbed foot. Inside, a honey to amber core glows and turns into a deep ruby and cherry red towards the rims; depending on the light, the colour shifts between amber, orange and dark wine red.

Measuring 42 cm in length, 21 cm in width and 18.5 cm in height, the bowl has the generous format of a centerpiece for a dining table, sideboard or console, as a glowing focal point, a representative fruit bowl or a sculptural solitaire, and suits a Mid-Century interior as well as a contemporary one. The thick-walled glass has a noticeable weight and shows the fine working marks of free forming at the furnace; small bubbles and striations are inherent to the making and are not damage. The condition is very good, without chips or cracks, and all four crystal tips are intact. VAT is not shown separately.