Vetro di Empoli Glass Bowl/Footed Bowl with Blue Thread Decor, Italy 60s/70s

A hand-blown, flat-flared footed bowl (coupe/tazza) made of clear, naturally straw-yellow tinted glass – the typical slight yellowing results from the iron content in the sand used and is characteristic of Italian soda-lime glass from Tuscany. The wide, flat bowl body rests on a short, stepped cylindrical foot. As decoration, several thin, concentrically encircling cobalt blue glass threads are fused near the rim; from the inner wall of the bowl, an additional single, thicker cobalt blue thread extends in a curved hook/swirl shape down to the foot area – a freehand applied element, as is typical for Venetian-inspired glass. Dimensions: Ø 25.5 cm x H 7.5 cm.

The combination of a naturally yellowish tinted glass body and applied blue thread decoration is a hallmark of "Vetro di Empoli" – glass from the Tuscan glassmaking town of Empoli, which has produced and exported table and ornamental glass in the style of historical Venetian glass art (so-called "Façon de Venise") worldwide since the early 20th century. An exact identical bowl with a manufacturer's mark could not be documented; no signature is visible on the object itself. The attribution "Vetro di Empoli / Venetian style, Italy, 1960s/70s" is therefore based on the glass color and decoration technique compared with documented collector's items. The condition is very good: no chips or cracks found (seller's statement).

A decorative vintage glass object for collectors of Italian post-war glass art – ideal as a fruit or decorative bowl, an eye-catcher on a sideboard or set table in a Mid-Century interior.