Venetian Hand Blown Elk with Sommerso Glass

Art Glass Elk Venetian in Hand Blown Sommerso Glass

Scarce cased glass elk or reindeer with Venetian label. Label reads “Handmade Venetian J.I. Co. Made in Italy. Jordan Import. Company (J.I Co.) exported Italian Glass. Many designs of the master Alfredo Barbini were distributed by J.I. Co. Barbini perfected the art of ‘vetro sommerso’ (submersion), a technique which plays upon the thickness of the glass, its transparency, the different tones of superimposed colors or the placing of pre-prepared objects inside the glass mass. This fabulous elk was made with this technique. Beautiful.

The encased inner glass is a deep amethyst color. Surrounded by a seamless green/blue/yellow layer. The amber antlers, nose and eys are applied. All hand-formed with a polished flat seat. Circa 1950s. The modernistic mid-century crowd in America adored Italian/Venetian/Murano glass.

This is a large figurine, measuring 8.5″ tall, 4.5” at widest. It weighs 2.2 lbs.