Vintage Mid-Century Iridescent Art Glass Handkerchief Centerpiece Bowl – 14"

Details

Description

This eye-catching piece is an iridescent art glass handkerchief vase, also known by its traditional Italian name, fazzoletto. It features … Read more This eye-catching piece is an iridescent art glass handkerchief vase, also known by its traditional Italian name, fazzoletto. It features a distinctive slumped, organic shape designed to look like a folded handkerchief caught in mid-air.The finish is iridized glass, which creates a luminous, pearlescent shimmer that shifts colors depending on how the light hits its surface. Similar studio glass creations can be explored across specialized marketplaces.

A striking and substantial mid-to-late 20th-century studio art glass centerpiece bowl, masterfully crafted in the iconic fazzoletto (handkerchief) style. This dramatic piece features fluid, sweeping folds captured in mid-air, creating a highly organic and sculptural silhouette. The glass boasts a brilliant, clear iridized finish that creates a shifting pearlescent shimmer, reflecting soft rainbow hues of pink, violet, and mint green depending on the light. The underside features a completely smooth, fire-polished flat base, showcasing the exceptional hand-crafted quality of the piece. Its generous 14-inch scale makes it a commanding focal point for a dining table, console, or modernist interior.

Provenance: This piece comes from a notable private estate collection in the affluent community of Rancho Santa Fe, California, where it was originally acquired during the late 1970s to early 1980s.

Dimensions
Width: 14 in.
Depth: 9 in.
Height: 10 in.

Details: Excellent vintage condition. Free of chips, cracks, or deep scratches. Light, age-appropriate surface wear on the polished bottom base from display.

Styles: Handkerchief Vase, Fazzoletto, Studio Art Glass, Iridescent Glass, Rancho Santa Fe Estate, 1980s Decor, Centerpiece Bowl, Slumped Glass.

This unique vase is an exceptional mid-to-late 20th-century studio art glass center bowl. Because it lacks stamps, acid etches, or an artist signature, it is considered an unauthenticated attribution piece.

The Era (1970s–1980s): During this time, the American Studio Glass movement exploded, particularly in California. Concurrently, high-end Italian imports from Murano gained massive popularity in affluent areas like Rancho Santa Fe. Tony Serviente Attribution: The specific technique used here—slumping kiln-formed glass into sweeping handkerchief folds paired with a strong rainbow iridescent sheen—is highly characteristic of prominent studio artists like Tony Serviente (Serviente Glass Studios). While his commercial studio pieces grew in prominence by the early 1990s, prototype and independent studio designs in this exact vein circulated heavily in the late '80s. Another potential origin is Murano (Italian) imports, which frequently utilized pontil-free polished bases for their freeform fazzoletto designs. See less