Vintage 1950s baby blue SEGUSO Murano artglass bowl

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Vintage 1950s baby blue SEGUSO Murano artglass bowl

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Sold Date: 07/11/2007
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Glass

VINTAGE MID-CENTURY

CASED ITALIAN ART GLASS

SEGUSO

BABY BLUE & WHITE WITH BULLICANTE

I am a stay-at-home mommy with way too much stuff in storage boxes. In the last few years, we merged two existing households, received wedding presents and then baby gifts, and shortly after, we moved to a new state.

Since then, I've been trying to clear out the boxes by finding new homes for the better things on Ebay. I only list items that are in good condition. Any flaws are noted in detail.

Before I remarried, I was an avid collector of vintage Murano glass, mainly from the 50s and 60s. I am particularly fond of Barbini, Nason, and Fratelli Toso. When we moved, I realized that my glass collection was out of control, but it was my new son (now an active 2-yr-old) that prompted me to find new homes for some of my delicate collectibles.

Recently, my toddler figured out how to stack things to allow himself to reach previously-safe display shelves. This is not safe for him or my glass collection, and since he prompted the fall (and damage) of a very large, very favored, very valuable piece, I've now decided to part with all but a few cherished pieces.

This auction is for a vintage pale blue and white Murano bowl that I believe to be produced by the Seguso studio, circa 1950s.

This item is one of my favorites - it's a rare color done in a subtle, uncommon finish (creamy rather than sparkly). It is a true baby blue, like an infant boy's blanket, with no hint of green or yellow. It was hard to photograph; the color is best represented by the first photo, showing the side view.

Besides the unusual color, it has the added bonus of expertly-executed controlled bubble (bullicante) work on the OUTSIDE of the bowl (rather than the more common technique of interior bullicante). It is a graceful work of understated elegance.

Like most vintage glass, I have no idea how many owners had this bowl before me, and its label is a distant memory. That said, allow me to clarify that Seguso is my best guess at its maker.

Although my guess is not uneducated, I am open to suggestion on the maker because it does have design aspects that could be attributed to Barbini, Nason, and Seguso. A bowl with similar design and technique was recently offered by an established Murano dealer as ebay item 1301296962276, attributed to Seguso, but t are things about my bowl that could point to another artist.

For example, the bullicante work is excellent. This superb contolled-bubble technique, especially done on this color scheme, could easily be Barbini, and I've seen similar pieces attributed to him, but they were offered by less established sellers.

The ruffled edge, executed with almost no evidence of tool marks, and pulled base could easily be the work of Seguso, and somew in the late 50s, he did seem to move away from the metallic mineral inclusions, favoring dramatic solid colors (both opaque and transparent) as he moved toward his "geode" period.

However, the thickness of the material, the organic design, and the perfectly rolled edges remind me of Nason, who may have been giving a nod to his more famous contemporaries. That said, I'll leave it the pictures to help you decide if you agree that it is Seguso's work or if it should be labeled as the work of one of his colleagues.

The bowl has a ground pontil and three thicker-than-usual layers. The base of the bowl is formed by an opaque white (lattimo) layer with extensive bullicante work on the outer side. The underside is then covered by a thick clear layer of glass that has been worked into freeform waves at each of the two longer ends of the bowl. The interior is then coated with an opaque layer of baby blue.

This dish is approximately 8.5" wide on the longer sides and 6" wide on the shorter sides. It is 3" tall at the crest of the folders. Like most mid-century Italian glass, it is very heavy, weighing a little over 2.5 lbs.

This dish has no chips, cracks, or hazing. The pontil sho...