John Ruth “Flower Ball” Studio Glass and Sterling Silver Sculpture, 1990s

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Signed studio glass sculpture titled “Flower Ball” by American artist John Ruth, executed in the 1990s.

This sculptural form combines … Read more Signed studio glass sculpture titled “Flower Ball” by American artist John Ruth, executed in the 1990s.

This sculptural form combines hand-blown glass with substantial sterling silver elements, a technique Ruth began developing in the early 1990s as a defining aspect of his practice. The piece features a luminous, translucent amethyst glass vessel rising from a tiered base, crowned with a spherical glass finial. Textured sterling silver wraps and collars the glass, creating a striking contrast between fluid organic form and sculptural metalwork.

The sterling components are marked 925 and stamped “343,” indicating a total sterling weight of 343 grams (approximately 11 troy ounces). Both the glass and sterling sections are signed by the artist.

John Ruth (b. 1934) holds an MFA in Glass and studied at Pilchuck Glass School, later teaching and working extensively in Southern California. His work is known for the technical challenge and visual tension of integrating blown glass with sterling silver, resulting in objects that balance softness and structure, transparency and density.

Originally sold in the 1990s for $1,800, this example represents a substantial and fully realized work from that period. A distinctive studio craft sculpture with strong presence and scale. See less