Big Blown Art Glass Vase Set with Laminated with Mosaic Murrines

Set of hand-blown soft form vases with exterior monochrome & aventurine murrina décor.

Mysterious set of murrine laminated hand-blown art glass vases. We are unable to identify the maker or the era at this time.  The only decor match we've found was described as "vasa Murrhina", but it was on a vase from the first century A.D.  This unique pair of vases are not from the first century. They were probably made in the 1940s-1960s.

They could be mid-century Italian/Murano/Venetian: Pezzato (Venini), Mosaica (Vistosi/Toso) or AVEM (Dino Martens).  Or they may be vintage Czech, or contemporary American studio glass.  Research continues.

The exterior décor process is called “Roll Up” or "laminated". Colorful sheets of glass produced with kiln-fusing are rolled over the blown vessel, then attached to a blow pipe and blown again. It involves warm, hot, and cold methods all in unison.   Very difficult to achieve.

The inner glass is blown cobalt blue (image 2).  The laminated layer is not cased in clear as usually seen, it is the outer layer.  Surface is textured.  The texture of the laminate can be seen in image 1.  Multiple images included here due to difficulty in capturing the intense beauty of the vases.  The laminate colors are blue, yellow, and copper aventurine.  The laminate is wrapped over the vase openings (images 3 & 4).

The vases are large and heavy. Measure 9.25 & 9.5" tall, Weigh 3.75 lbs each.  Slightly different height and shape on each is due the hand blowing process.  Interesting soft form bullet shapes. Both in excellent condition with roughly ground pontil marks.

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