Topic: Purple-blue rectangular ribbed sommerso vase, Seguso Vd'A? Archimede Seguso?

[rocco]

Nice sommerso vase, purple-blue, clear cased. Rectangular shape, ribbed with scalloped rim.
Stands a little over 21 cm tall, flat polished base.

The design looks very similar to the "Sommerso a Coste" pieces designed by Flavio Poli in the late 1950s >> Link
There are even some bucket-shaped vases pictured in Heiremans' book, Selective Modellist 1960, page 151.

But these have a more massive base; and I am not sure if the colourway would be one that Seguso Vd'A used.

So probably Archimede Seguso?
Or generic maker?

Thanks,
Michael

[glassobsessed]

great to see another Michael, I have had this one for some time and have been asking the same question! It is a couple of cm taller, polished pontil mark.

Not sommerso though, at least mine is not, the technique is subtle. The blue comes only from the ribs - they look to be thick blue canes that were picked up after an amethyst gather. I also thought Archimede Seguso was a possibility but could not quite decide between coste or cordonati for technique.

John

[glassobsessed]

Looking at yours again, the more pronounced scalloped shape of the rim is very reminiscent of several vases shown on pages 42-45 of Leslie Pina's book on Archimede Seguso described as having (vertical) ribbing and scalloped rims.

[rocco]

Thank you very much, John!
Your vase is lovely.
I am quite convinced that my vase is made in the Sommerso technique (similar to the Poli pieces I linked to), though it is hard to see the effect properly due to the deep ribbing. But there is a thin blue line visible from any angle you look at it...

Is yours clear cased like mine?

Did you have a chance to look at the vases in the modellist on page 151? -- As they are only shown in a sideshot, I am unsure weather they are rectangular like mine...

But I agree, Archimede Seguso seems more likely than Seguso Vd'A.

Michael

[glassobsessed]

I think those vases on page 151 are round rather than squared but it is not easy to be sure with that image.

I think our vases were made differently then, construction of mine is clear gather followed by amethyst with pale blue canes forming the ribs. I had assumed it would be clear over amethyst but it is not - the base is actually mostly clear glass, the outer layer of amethyst is nearly all polished away (base is polished so it sits flat). The blue canes are in reality clear with only a thin blue outer layer.

I could email you a couple of photos of the vases in the Archimede Seguso book if you like, can't post here - copyright of course.

[rocco]

Thanks.
Yes, if you find the time, it would be lovely if you could email me the photos from the A. Seguso book
(I only have Pina's "Italian Glass" book, which is riddled with mistakes, so not very helpful; btw, did you spot the 1970s German Gralglas vase in her Fratelli Toso book? )

Though our vases look so similar at first sight, they really seem to be constructed differently; mine doesn't have those pronounced blue ribs I can see in the pics of your vase...

Michael

[ardy]

Could well be A.S. as he used this technique a fair bit. I bought a vase from the UK thinking it was one of his and as soon as it turned up it was obvious it was not. Fell from display to flower vase.

In one of my A.S. books it shows a square topped vase but not in this style.

A look at the base might help if you can...