Mid-Century Italian Red, Blue and Crystal Murano Sommerso Glass Bowl by Flavio Poli, 1960

Mid-century red, blue and crystal Murano “Sommerso” glass bowl. This amazing piece was designed in Italy during the 1960s. A wonderful piece without chipping in wonderful vintage conditions, that will enrich a mid-century living room. The Sommerso technique was originally developed in the 1930s by Antonio Da Ross. Sommerso (Italian for “submerged”) is the Murano glassmaking technique of creating two or more layers of contrasting glass without the colors mixing together. It is formed by dipping colored glass into a molten glass of a different color, before blowing the glass into the required form. The outermost layer is often clear. During the 1950s the Sommerso style became world-famous due to the work of Flavio Poli, artistic director of Seguso Vetri d’Arte. There have since been many other factories in the Murano region which have made pieces in this style, and as such, it is difficult to be certain of the manufacturer without labels or signatures present. Other well-known manufacturers that have produced glassware in the Sommerso style include Mandruzzato, Galliano Ferro, Formia, Oball, Arte Nuova and Luigi Onesto.