The Ruby Pinch

This is a freeform bowl in Murano sommerso glass, made in the 1960s. Sommerso means "submerged". A layer of deep ruby glass is cased inside a thick wall of clear crystal, so the colour seems to float within the glass. While the glass was still hot, the rim was pinched and folded into four soft lobes. The weight of the clear casing gives the piece a solid, sculptural presence, and the colour shifts from deep red to bright orange-red as the light passes through it.

It works as a catch-all on a hall table or a dresser, or it can stand on its own on a shelf or windowsill where the light reaches it.

Origin: Italy (Murano)
Sourced in: Parma
Era: c.1960s
Materials: Hand-blown sommerso glass, ruby red cased in clear
Dimensions: 20cm across
Attribution: Unattributed; Murano by convention
Condition: Good vintage condition with light surface wear to the base consistent with age. Refer to photographs.