We always love these rare pieces where art is usable! And this genuine Murano art glass bowl by famed Italian artist Alfredo Barbini is just that. The piece is substantial and heavy and was hand crafted in the late 1950's - early 1960's. It is an elegantly shaped freeform glass bowl / dish / ashtray, made on the island of Murano, near Venice, Italy with beautiful waving shape and indentions along the rim. Barbini used an excellent shade of amethyst purple along with a sommerso technique giving the illusion of deepness, and a glowing / floating affect between the glass layers. “Sommerso” in Italian means literally "submerged" or "sunken glasses". It is a fairly difficult technique, but giving a charming effect of three-dimensionality and brightness in the glass structure. This piece was previously owned by a collector of Murano glass art who flew to Italy regularly to collect the best and most beautiful pieces! Now it is ready to adorn your home!

About the artist:
Alfredo Barbini was an Italian glass artist and designer known for his sculptures rendered in his signature vetro sommerso technique, where colors or additional pieces are seamlessly introduced to the larger whole. Born in 1912 in Venice, Italy, Barbini grew up in Murano and learned the traditional techniques of glassblowing in his teens as an apprentice at the Cristallerina Franchetti and the S. A.I. A.R. Ferro Toso, and was recognized as a Maestro before he was 20 years old. He worked under famed artist Napoleone Martinuzzi in the mid-1930s, opening his own furnace called Vetreria Alfredo Barbini is 1950. Experimenting throughout his career with glass’s plasticity, he created delicately colored organic and biomorphic objects, in addition to figurative models and animals. Barbini died on February 13, 2007 in Venice, Italy

Condition:
Excellent condition with no damages to the glass.

Measurements:
3" height x 6 1/2" width

This item is sold from an excellent, highly rated vintage boutique in Los Angeles, CA.