Vintage Murano Style Black Amethyst Sommerso Art Glass Saddle Rim Chimney Vase

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Vintage Murano Style Black Amethyst Sommerso Art Glass Saddle Rim Chimney Vase

This captivating mid-century modern art glass vase combines … Read more Vintage Murano Style Black Amethyst Sommerso Art Glass Saddle Rim Chimney Vase

This captivating mid-century modern art glass vase combines dramatic biomorphic sculpting with sophisticated optical color depth. Standing eleven inches tall, the vessel is masterfully hand-blown in a tall, slender chimney silhouette that transitions from a weighted, flared conical base into a sculptural saddle-folded or stylized calla lily rim. In standard ambient lighting, the glass presents an intense, mirror-gloss black exterior with striking presence. In direct sunlight or when backlit, the dense formulation reveals its true character, glowing with saturated violet and deep ruby-red jewel tones. The piece utilizes the celebrated sommerso technique, encasing the rich, dark amethyst core in a substantial outer layer of clear crystal that frames the arched mouth and ground perimeter with brilliant refractive clarity. The circular underside reveals traditional concentric tooling marks and a polished pontil, affirming its hot-worked, mouth-blown studio execution.

About the Maker
While unsigned, as was standard for mid-twentieth-century export art glass that originally relied on paper or foil labels, this sleek vase is attributed to the renowned furnaces of Murano, Italy, and crafted in the style of mid-century masters such as Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri d'Arte and Luigi Mandruzzato. During the 1950s and 1960s, Venetian glasshouses pushed beyond traditional ornate baroque glasswork, embracing minimalist modernism, geometric chimney necks, and heavy submerged sommerso layers. Skilled glassblowers achieved extraordinary purity of line and color saturation through closely guarded mineral recipes and freehand manipulation, resulting in sculptural vessels celebrated across the global studio glass community.

Historical Significance
The post-war era brought an international design revolution, where decorative art transitioned from fussy historicism toward sleek, architectural, and biomorphic forms. Venetian glass artists embraced this modern ethos by fusing organic botanical silhouettes, such as the curves of the jack-in-the-pulpit flower, with the stark, minimalist forms championed by mid-century architecture. Black amethyst glass, achieved through an ultra-dense concentration of manganese and cobalt oxides, became a coveted luxury medium because it reads as dramatic high-gloss black in ambient shadow yet transforms into a luminous stained-glass spectacle when activated by light. This duality made it a favorite statement piece in mid-century modern, Hollywood Regency, and Italian modernist interiors throughout the 1960s.

Artisanal Glassmaking Techniques
Crafting this substantial vase required exceptional physical stamina and mastery of hot glass manipulation. The gaffer gathered the initial molten core of richly pigmented manganese amethyst, shaped it, then dipped the gather back into the furnace to fuse a heavy outer envelope of molten clear crystal using the sommerso layering technique. The glassmaker then blew the piece and drew it out to form the soaring chimney neck. While still glowing hot at the reheating furnace, the artisan used metal jacks and wooden paddles to slice, spread, and fold the rim back into two opposing flared curves, creating the fluid saddle lip. The piece was subsequently hand-finished at the base with careful wheel grinding and polishing to ensure absolute stability.

Specifications and Dimensions
Style: Mid-Century Modern / Italian Modern / Hollywood Regency
Period: Mid 20th Century (circa 1960s)
Attribution: Attributed to Murano, Italy (In the Style of Flavio Poli or Seguso Vetri d'Arte)
Material: Mouth-Blown Sommerso Art Glass and Crystal
Color: Black Amethyst (Appears Gloss Black, Illuminates Violet and Dark Ruby in Direct Light)
Accent Tones: Clear Crystal, Plum, Deep Ruby
Form: Chimney Bud Vase with Biomorphic Saddle Lip
Base Diameter: 5 inches
Overall Height: 11 inches

Condition Report
This vintage art glass vase is in excellent vintage condition with no chips, cracks, fleabites, deep scratches, or structural repairs. The mouth-blown rim remains completely smooth along all curved and arched edges, and the clear glass casing retains high optical clarity without clouding or sickness. The base exhibits faint shelf wear and minor movement scratches on the resting surface consistent with age and careful interior display. Natural microscopic bubbles and delicate swirling within the glass matrix are inherent to authentic mouth-blown studio work and confirm its handmade origin.

Designer's Note
Sculptural black glass anchors luxury interior design, grounding lighter color palettes and adding a dose of mid-century sophistication. Standing eleven inches tall with a compact five-inch footprint, this vase offers a commanding vertical profile that fits seamlessly onto narrow fireplace mantels, floating display shelves, or a tailored entryway console. The surprise element is its light responsiveness; placing it on a sun-drenched console or under a focused accent spotlight activates the glowing violet core, turning a sleek modernist silhouette into a glowing jewel. It pairs exceptionally well with brutalist bronze sculptures, polished travertine surfaces, and warm walnut credenzas.

Styling and Placement Suggestions
Place this chimney vase where it can catch natural daylight, such as on a deep windowsill or a sunlit credenza, to showcase the shift from deep noir to luminous violet-red. It functions magnificently as a standalone architectural sculpture. Still, it can also hold a single sculptural monstera leaf, a dried allium stem, or a single calla lily to complement the flared contours of the rim. For an elevated dining table or cocktail table arrangement, pair it with low brass candleholders and natural marble accessories to highlight the glass's high-gloss, reflective surface.

Sophisticated, sculptural, and mesmerizing in changing light, this vintage Murano-style black amethyst vase represents the pinnacle of mid-century studio glass artistry. Its dramatic silhouette, rich sommerso casing, and versatile biomorphic form make it a prized addition for discerning glass collectors and modern interior designers alike. See less