Posted 3 years ago
kwqd
(1186 items)
This vase is about 8.75" high x 6.5" wide x about 2.25" deep, bottom is ground flat and polished and has quite a bit of wear. It weighs 2 lbs 11 ounces. Mildly glows green under a black light. Based on the seller's images, I expected the design to be rather ponderous, like a bull, but later found it to be agile and with a sense of motion that reminds me of a bird or a dancer. I paid $9 for it as a research opportunity.
Consensus on glassmessages.com is that it is likely Murano/Italian..... I know basically nothing about Italian art glass and actually mostly avoid it to limit the scope of my collection. :( I had hoped it would turn out to be Czech..
The seller bought this vase on a trip to Europe in the 1960s. Does anyone recognize this, know who made it?
The seller thought the bottom edge looked beveled, but when I received it I found that it was not beveled, after all. One suggestion on GlassMessages.com was that it may be by Murano maker Arte Nuova, mainly because they were known to bevel the bottom edge of their glass. Since the base is not beveled that no longer applies to this vase, but I did a bit research about this company before I got it. Also known as Nuova Artas? Adding what I can find about this maker there is very little information about them, in general, and I could find nothing about them on CW. Not sure if that is the same as Nuova Artas? Here is what I have found about this maker to start documenting it on CW:
"sometimes bearing labels which read "Arte Nuova Murano, Grand Prize, Genuine Venetian Glass, World Fair Brussels 1958". Other examples have a label which reads "Arte Nuova Murano, Pustetto & Zanetti, Made in Italy". The factory was open only for a relatively short time, from 1954 to 1965."
There are some examples of their work and a brief history on 20thcenturyglass.com:
https://www.20thcenturyglass.com/glass_encyclopedia/murano_glass/artenuova_glass/artenuovaglass_home.htm
"The Arte Nuova glass factory was founded on the island of Murano, Venice, Italy, in 1954. There is precious little information available about this company. It was only open for a relatively short period of time, and different sources give the closing date as 1965 or 1968. During this time, Arte Nuova become known for their high quality work using the Sommerso technique, winning prizes at the 1958 world fair in Brussels. Known labels include a rectangular red label that reads "Arte Nuova Murano, Grand Prize, Genuine Venetian Glass, World Fair Brussels, 1958", and a circular red label that reads "Arte Nuova Murano, Pustetto & Zanetti, Made in Italy". According to online sources, glassmakers and designers involved with the factory include Itamo Pustetto, Licio Zanetti, Mario Fuga, Aldo Fuga, Nino D'Este, and Alessandro Lenarda."
Again the bottom of my vase is not beveled so this information is just for documentation purposes. Uncertain enough, now, of who/when/where this was made that I am moving this to the general Murano and Italian Art Glass category...
Gorgeous colors and great design, I am seeing a bull with horns (or maybe that's just 'cause I love animals :). Nice one Kevin!
The "bull with horns" is very apt. Lovely piece.
Thanks, Jenni! I thought about the similarity to "bull's horns" and searched for that on Google. Still not found another example of this, though.
Thanks for your comments BHIFOS! Apt, indeed!
Thanks for loving my new vase aura, Manikin, Vynil33rpm, BHIFOS, Jenni and vcal!
Thanks Alfie21, jscott0363, fortapache, dav2no1 and blunderbuss2!
Thanks Kevin!
Thanks Blammoammo and PhilDMorris!
Thanks skyguy!
Updated images and description. Bottom is not beveled as described by seller.
Thanks, Sarrie and Jenni!