Sommerso
Designer
Flavio Poli
(Italian, 1900-1984)
Manufacturer
Seguso Vetri d'Arte
(Italian, founded 1933)
CultureItalian
Date1961
MediumBlown glass
Dimensions13 × 8 × 4 in. (33 × 20.3 × 10.2 cm)
Credit LineGift of Seguso Family
Object number2020.12.1
Not on view
DescriptionA tear-drop shaped vessel with a wide rounded lower body, no shoulder, long neck, and a slightly everted rim with a rounded lip. The transparent glass is a bright ruby red color, with a submerged layer of transparent yellow glass and a thick overlay of colorless glass visible near the bottom of the vessel. The bottom surface is polished smooth and there are no maker’s marks or signatures. The vase is a classic example of the sommerso series that Poli designed for Seguso Vetri d’Arte. The design and execution is a fascinating mixture of Muranese and Scandinavian design and technique. Poli designed his sommerso vessels in an unmistakably Nordic style, focusing on essential forms (ovals, valves, cylinders) and using sharp, sometimes cold, colors. Unlike the Italian overlay techniques, in which multiple layers of glass are more or less of the same thickness, the Nordic style involves a denser first gather of glass and thinner successive layers. The shape reflects Poli’s ongoing search for a contemporary yet commercial style. This vase appears to be model 13168 with the rubino-giallo resina color combination (“transparent ruby covered with transparent resin yellow,” a combination that is listed for the production year 1961.ProvenanceGifted to the Chrysler Museum from Seguso Family in 2020.Published ReferencesThe date, color, and model number of the Sommerso Vase was identified based on the volume Seguso Vetri D’Arte: Glass Objects from Murano (1932-1973) edited by Marc Heiremans and published by Arnoldsche in 2014; a description and photo of the 1961 color combinations appears on page 316; a black-and-white photograph of model 13168 appears on page 155
1990
2000
