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179
Seguso Vetri d'Arte
Italy, 1957-58
incalmo and corroso glass 10 h × 6¾ dia in (25 × 17 cm)
Italy, 1957-58
incalmo and corroso glass 10 h × 6¾ dia in (25 × 17 cm)
estimate: $20,000–30,000
follow artist
provenance: Private Collection
A Note from the Curators
Sara Blumberg and Jim Oliveira
New information has come to light regarding the authorship of this rare lamp. Initially we believed it had been designed by Carlo Scarpa for MVM Cappellin in the 1930s. We based this assessment on several factors: The materials, colors and form are in line with the drawings published in the catalogue MVM Cappellin Glassworks and the Young Carlo Scarpa which accompanied the exhibition in 2018. The materials, quality and colors perfectly align with the works produced at Cappellin in the 1930s. Finally, the fixture was discovered in a private home in Venice and the owner believed it to be by Carlo Scarpa.
Upon further research, and with the aid of the archivists at Le Stanze del Vetro in Venice, we have discovered that the lamp was actually designed by Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri d'Arte in 1957-58 (model number 1452 in the company records). This lamp was part of a limited series of very sophisticated lighting fixtures designed by Poli (inspired by the work of Carlo Scarpa at MVM Cappellin) in which numerous opaque and transparent glass blowing materials and techniques were used to create compact, elegant forms. This series was designed by Poli in anticipation of the Biennale of 1958. All of the physical elements present in this lamp correspond to elements present in Scarpa’s drawings for Cappellin, and these were masterfully reinterpreted by Flavio Poli.
Flavio Poli 1900–1984
Born in Chioggia, Italy, Flavio Poli studied at the Istituto d'Arte di Venezia as a ceramicist. In 1929 he began working as a glass artist at the Industrie Vetraie Artistiche Murano or IVAM glass factory where he designed mostly sculptural pieces. In 1934 he joined the firm Barovier Seguso Ferro and became artistic director and a partner in the company after just three years. In the 1950s he began experimenting with Sommerso glass, a technique achieved by overlapping different layers of glass in a variety of colors and thicknesses. The resulting pieces received international recognition as superior examples of 20th century Murano art glass and Poli was awarded the Compasso d'Oro prize in 1954. At the height of his career, Poli won five Grand Prix awards at various Milan Triennales and his designs were exhibited in numerous editions of the Venice Biennale. Poli left Seguso in 1963 to form a division of the Società Veneziana di Conterie e Cristallerie. He died in Venice in 1984 and his works can be found in numerous public and private collections around the world including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Murano Glass Museum, Venice and the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia.
Auction Results Flavio Poli
