Masterworks 
25 May 2017
Masterworks 
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Archimede Seguso

Macchie Ambra Verde bowl, model 6214

Italy, 1952
internally decorated glass 6½ h × 11½ w × 7¼ d in (17 × 29 × 18 cm)
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $12,500
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provenance: Important Private Collection
literature: Archimede Seguso Historical Archive, unpaginated, illustrates model Art Glass from Murano: 1910-1970, Heiremans, pg. 135 illustrates technique

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It is difficult to understand how Archimede Seguso was able to achieve the visual drama of the Macchie Ambra pieces. They seem simple—spots of color, clear glass, and gold leaf. But the visual effect is far more powerful and complex—piercing, twisting and asymmetry are all employed to give a sculptural essence to bowls and vases.

Sometimes taken for granted, the greatness of this series is often hidden in plain sight, possibly because its aesthetic has become ubiquitous—a style so essentially 50s that we fail to recognize it as the avatar of biomorphic design that it is. The piece presented here is a powerful sculptural object; blown, pierced and manipulated, Seguso has sublimated and transformed the materiality of his own ancestral tradition.

This model illustrated in the Archimede Seguso Historical Archive

Masterworks of Archimede Seguso

Selected from an important private collection, this work is among a group of vessels created by designer and master blower Archimede Seguso and representing some of his most significant work from the 1950s. 

While major auctions of Italian Glass usually include one or two examples of Seguso’s work, this is the first time a diverse and truly impressive group of masterworks are being presented in one sale. To that end, this is a rare opportunity to view a cross-section of Seguso’s best work executed at the height of his powers. It is our hope that in the present context, the depth and power of this historically significant material can be better understood and appreciated.

Archimede Seguso 1909–1999

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During his long life Archimede Seguso worked in many of Murano’s most important glasshouses, but he would ultimately become famous for establishing and operating his own.

At a young age Seguso became an apprentice at the Vetreria Artistica Barovier where his father was a partner. In 1933 he became a founding member and principal master blower of the Barovier Seguso Ferro firm, which would become Seguso Vetri d’Arte in 1937. Here he collaborated extensively with the young designer Flavio Poli and earned a reputation as one of the greatest master blowers on the island.

In 1946 he established his own workshop, Veteria Archimede Seguso, where he served as both designer and master blower, personally executing almost every piece produced there for more than 40 years. During this time he developed many innovative glass designs that employed complex ancient techniques, such as Filigrana and successfully re-imagined them to suit post-war tastes.

Auction Results Archimede Seguso

Archimede Seguso

A Piume vase

estimate: $35,000–45,000

result: $106,250

Archimede Seguso

Zig Zag vase

estimate: $50,000–70,000

result: $81,250

Archimede Seguso

Merletto vase

estimate: $30,000–50,000

result: $57,500

Archimede Seguso

Merletto bowl

estimate: $9,000–12,000

result: $52,500

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