This superb art glass bowl was handblown in the 1950's by Arte Vetraria Muranese (1932-circa 1972), usually shortened to AVEM, founded on the island of Murano by master glassblowers. The bowl is part of their famous line "Bizantino," introduced around 1953 and nicknamed "Tutti Frutti" by collectors and dealers. Made of thick, clear glass with a vibrant aqua tint, the bowl is filled with paper-thin slices of long, colored glass canes called murrine.
The glass is also shot through with hundreds of sparkling particles of gold and silver, a complex technique which uses metal oxides and powders. It's called aventurine, or avventura in Italian, the root word of which is 'ventura' which means fortune or chance, indicating the challenge of producing the desired result consistently. During his tenure from 1939 to his death in 1952, AVEM's art director Giulio Radi advocated using simple shapes like this to showcase the colorful murrine and the glittering aventurine that give the glass pieces their wonderful organic appearance.
Measuring about 8 inches long on each side, the bowl stands 3 1/4 inches high at the center of each side and weighs 2 1/4 pounds. The underside of the bowl is covered with myriad raised droplet shapes that provide a base for the bowl. The pontil scar is expertly cut and polished and has an interesting shape---perhaps a turtle?---and the piece has what seems to us an undersea vibe.
With no damage or wear other than fine scratches on the pontil mark, this outstanding mid-century Murano glass bowl is a wonderful find that displays beautifully.
© PrimpingYourHome.com
PYH 5833
This superb art glass bowl was handblown in the 1950's by Arte Vetraria Muranese (1932-circa 1972), usually shortened to AVEM, founded on the island of Murano by master glassblowers. The bowl is part of their famous line "Bizantino," introduced around 1953 and nicknamed "Tutti Frutti" by collectors and dealers. Made of thick, clear glass with a vibrant aqua tint, the bowl is filled with paper-thin slices of long, colored glass canes called murrine.
The glass is also shot through with hundreds of sparkling particles of gold and silver, a complex technique which uses metal oxides and powders. It's called aventurine, or avventura in Italian, the root word of which is 'ventura' which means fortune or chance, indicating the challenge of producing the desired result consistently. During his tenure from 1939 to his death in 1952, AVEM's art director Giulio Radi advocated using simple shapes like this to showcase the colorful murrine and the glittering aventurine that give the glass pieces their wonderful organic appearance.
Measuring about 8 inches long on each side, the bowl stands 3 1/4 inches high at the center of each side and weighs 2 1/4 pounds. The underside of the bowl is covered with myriad raised droplet shapes that provide a base for the bowl. The pontil scar is expertly cut and polished and has an interesting shape---perhaps a turtle?---and the piece has what seems to us an undersea vibe.
With no damage or wear other than fine scratches on the pontil mark, this outstanding mid-century Murano glass bowl is a wonderful find that displays beautifully.
© PrimpingYourHome.com
PYH 5833
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