Murano Sommerso vase, ruby red & aquamarine, 27.5 cm, 1960s

This slender vase of mouth-blown art glass is attributed to Murano and was presumably made in the 1960s, when sommerso vases shaped freely at the furnace were among the most sought-after works of the Venetian glass island. This attribution is supported above all by the ruby red core within an aquamarine-tinted layer of clear glass, a colour combination typical of Murano, as well as by the sculpturally pinched base and the asymmetrically drawn mouth, features often found on sommerso vases from the circle of Seguso and Flavio Poli. There is no label or signature on this piece, which is why no specific glassworks or designer is named and the origin should be understood as a stylistic attribution.

From a solid, rounded base with four deeply pressed hollows, the body rises slender and gently curved, ending in an asymmetrically drawn oval mouth, one side of which reaches upward like a petal or a calla lily. In the sommerso technique, a deep ruby red core that darkens to aubergine towards the edges lies beneath clear glass with a delicate aquamarine tint. The casing shows its full thickness at the base, and against the light the red glows intensely while the hollows focus the light like small lenses.

As a bud vase for single long-stemmed flowers or as a sculptural piece on a sideboard, windowsill or shelf, the vase suits a mid-century interior as well as a contemporary setting. The thick-walled glass has a noticeable weight and shows the fine tool marks and occasional small air bubbles of free shaping at the furnace. It measures 27.5 cm in height and 8 cm in diameter and is in good condition with light age-related signs of use.