Retro Modern Art Glass From 1950s Italy

Retro Modern Art Glass From 1950’s Italy

Very big Italian modernist blown glass stemmed bowl. Eyes won’t miss this stunning centerpiece vessel. It’s majestic and intense.

Imported to America from Italy by Heritage Glass, Schmid Brothers. The original old label has worn off, but is still intact and is included. Reads: Heritage Glass, Schmid (type beneath too crumpled to read), Hand Blown Glass, Made in Italy.

Circa early 1950’s. Handblown in Italy by a very good maker (unknown). Glass like this requires a skilled artist and craftsman to accomplish. Italian glass houses produced glass ‘on the side’ for the American market and the best glass makers in the world were in Italy. Mid-century modernist Americans loved the Italian style.

Completely hand-made. Blown glass with large coin optic. The coins measure 1.1″ wide, which is quite large for this type of optic. The domed foot was blown separately and applied to the clear waisted stem, which is applied to the coin optic bowl. The bowl rim is cut and polished. Pontil mark on the inner top of the conical foot is round and semi-polished. The coin optic effect was achieved by blowing the glass into an optic mold and then blowing it out by mouth. The hand-mixed glass color is a vivid emerald green.

This stemmed centerpiece weighs 3 lbs and can hold a giant grape log. It measures 8.25″ tall, 8.5″ wide, with a widest girth of 25″. Nice and big.