Vase

In the 1950s, Italian glass artists became more adventurous with their techniques. The patchwork method employed in this vase became popular through the work of Anzolo Fuga for A.V.E.M. and Fulvio Bianconi for Venini (seen nearby). The technique involves laying down colored and clear glass rods that are fused together into a plate, which is then heated and formed into a vase. While Bianconi’s patchwork vases were composed of small colored, white, and clear squares, Fuga’s work, as seen in this vase, has a more dramatic contrast between large sections of opaque white and colored glass—the composition is akin to a modern abstract painting.