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Murano Glass: Auction No. 091B - 21.09.2010

Auction No. 091B on 21. September 2010
Murano Glass and an Italien private collection

Viewing:
16./17. Sept. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
18./19. Sept. 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
20. Sept. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

 

Pre auction report

300 Murano and Studio glass items are going to feature in Quittenbaum’s sale on 21 September, among them 47 exquisite Murano pieces from an Italian private collection.

Part 1: Murano glass and Studio glass
The auction starts with creations by the Barovier factory, very important among them a ‚murrina’ vase, circa 1914 (lot 2, € 6,000-7.500), made by Giuseppe Barovier. Together with his uncle, Giovanni Barovier, he had founded the factory in 1884. The vase captivates through its delicate colour accentuation, with roses in bright pink and green among deep purple murrine. On the same level, one finds a ‚vetro mosaico’ vase (lot 3), designed by Ercole Barovier in 1924/25 for the factory then called Vetreria Artistica Barovier. It is estimated at € 8,000-10,000.

The highlight of this auction is a one-of-a-kind ‚inciso’ vase by long-established Venini & C. company. It’s estimated at € 20,000-24,000 (lot 58). A vase by Carlo Scarpa, designed around 1940 and decorated with ball-cuts by Franz Pelzel impresses with its geometric simplicity. An ‚oriente’ vase, another work by Ercole Barovier, stems from around the same year (lot 31, € 2,500-2,800). Multi-coloured bands are applied to a burst silver layer. Also very coveted: His ‚dorico aquamare’ vases, that Quittenbaum has on offer (lot 78, 79). Extremely rare his ‚dorico’ vase with large grey-brown murrinas, dating from 1962 (lot 80), coming up for € 13,000-14,000. Carlo Scarpa, chief designer of Venini, created a ‚tessuto’ vase in 1940 with vertical glass rods. Its estimate lies at € 6,000 (lot 57).

Ermanno Toso designed a high cylindrical vase with multi-coloured murrinas, called ‚gran redentore’ in 1960 (lot 98, € 9,000-12,000). Some more excellent ‚murrine’ pieces will be called up: a reliefed bowl of loosely fused murrinas by Fulvio Bianconi for Venini & C. for € 12,000-14,000 (lot 119, circa 1955); another ‚murrine’ vase was designed in 1955 by Paolo Venini, whose main function was actually to find highly talented artists for his factory (lot 120; € 12,000-13,000).

Fulvio Bianconi who had been discovered by Paolo Venini, knew a huge success with his ‚scozzesi’ vases that he had designed in 1954. These vases showed ‚Scotch’ plaid patterns between layers, for example lot 131, a vase designed in 1957 for € 5,000-6,000. His animals are very popular as well. A ‚cock’ from 1954 (lot 117) has an estimate of € 10,000-11,000. The offer of contemporary works contains for example a ‚Leda and the swan’ vase by Sicilian painter Renato Guttuso for S.A.L.I.R (lot 191, € 4,000-5,000).

At the end of this session, Modern glass and International Studio glass will be offered. An early ‚Unica’ vase by Andries Dirk Copier stands out. Designed in 1939 it features a vivid underwater scenery (lot 221, € 1,800-2,500). A jar by Jean Cocteau, ‚King Athamas’ made by Daum Frères, Nancy, of pâte de verre, can be had for € 2,400-2,800.

Part 2 Murano glass, an Italian private collection
Guido Balsamo Stella created some vases from 1928 to 1930 when he was artistic director of S.A.L.I.R. Lots 258, 259,260 have estimates between € 6,000 and 8,000. Works by S.A.L.I.R. stand out because of the finely cut patterns and decors made by famous engraver Franz Pelzel, very à la mode during the Art Déco era.

Napoleone Martinuzzi made vessels and items with accentuated plastic characters (lots 264-268). For example his designs of foam glass, like a ‚pulegoso’ bowl with gum tree for € 4,700-5,000 (lot 264) or vessels made of opaque glass: characteristically here his notorious cacti. A bowl with cactus can be had, of ‚pasta vitrea’, slightly marbled, for € 6,000-7,000 (lot 265). Let’s not forget the ‚pasta vitrea’ vase in opaque blue for € 9,500-11,000 (lot 267). Martinuzzi’s female nudes had been produced by Zecchin-Martinuzzi Vetri Artistici e Mosaici that Martinuzzi had founded in 1932 together with Francesco Zecchin. Quittenbaum shows a female torso, dating from 1933 for € 9,500-11,000 (lot 266). Tempting also a blue corded ‚incamiciato’ bowl for € 7,000-8,000.

In the 1950s, unusual shapes appear. Dino Martens’ ‚eldorado’ bowl shows the typical organic resp. amorphous signature of the most famous designer of the time. In contrast to his ‚oriente’ series, the ‚eldorado’ pieces are made of clear glass, ‚zanfirico’ rods, multi-coloured glass plates and glittery Aventurine glass. A decorative bowl from 1952 is going to be offered for € 24,000-26,000. Another highlight of the artist’s work, a ‚pulegoso’ vase will start at around € 9,500-11,000 (lot 289). Giorgio Ferro’s ‚anse volante’ vases (lots 285-292, circa 1952) with iridescent surface are thought to be an advancement of Dino Martens’ designs from the 1930s. They are estimated between € 2,400 and € 7,000.
Thomas Stearns, who was the first American artist to work for Venini from 1959/ 61 brought new ideas with him. He views glass as sculpture. His ‚incalmo’ vase has an estimate of € 10,500-12,000 (lot 295, 1962).