Napoleone Martinuzzi (att.), Serpent Vase, 1930 Ca.
Artist: Napoleone Martinuzzi
Napoleone Martinuzzi (att.)
(Burano 1892 – Venice 1977)
Serpent Vase
37.5 x 23 x 23 cm
Murano, ca. 1930
Impressive vase in the shape of a truncated cone-shaped chalice in intense emerald green pulegoso glass, a technique mastered by Napoleone Martinuzzi for the Venini factory in the 1930s, which gives the surface a distinctive grainy, opaque texture, reminiscent of citrus peel, endowed with extraordinary formal modernity.
The body of the vase is wrapped in two hot-applied snakes, sculpted in glass with rich gold aventurine for a metallic, precious effect.
The sinuous and masterfully crafted reptiles coil around the stem with an almost sculptural naturalism—a zoomorphic motif among the most characteristic of Martinuzzi's repertoire, present in numerous examples held in international museum collections.
Two additional cordoned elements run along the sides of the snakes, reinforcing the compositional tension of the whole.
Napoleone Martinuzzi, sculptor and master glassmaker, directed Venini from 1925 to 1932, instilling a radical shift in Murano glass production toward massive forms, innovative materials—pulegoso, lattimo—and a sculptural plasticity that clearly distinguished him from his contemporaries.
The vases with snakes are today among the most sought-after pieces of his production.
Conservation note:
The vase rests on a gilded metal base engraved with lion's paws, a later production and not related to the original work.
It is almost certain that the original base was made of matching blown glass—as is customary in Venini/Martinuzzi production—and that it was damaged.
The replacement, although carried out with a reasonably high-quality support, significantly detracts from the work's collectible and market value: a complete example with its original glass base would fetch significantly higher prices at major international auction houses.
A real shame, considering the vase's exceptional quality.
(Burano 1892 – Venice 1977)
Serpent Vase
37.5 x 23 x 23 cm
Murano, ca. 1930
Impressive vase in the shape of a truncated cone-shaped chalice in intense emerald green pulegoso glass, a technique mastered by Napoleone Martinuzzi for the Venini factory in the 1930s, which gives the surface a distinctive grainy, opaque texture, reminiscent of citrus peel, endowed with extraordinary formal modernity.
The body of the vase is wrapped in two hot-applied snakes, sculpted in glass with rich gold aventurine for a metallic, precious effect.
The sinuous and masterfully crafted reptiles coil around the stem with an almost sculptural naturalism—a zoomorphic motif among the most characteristic of Martinuzzi's repertoire, present in numerous examples held in international museum collections.
Two additional cordoned elements run along the sides of the snakes, reinforcing the compositional tension of the whole.
Napoleone Martinuzzi, sculptor and master glassmaker, directed Venini from 1925 to 1932, instilling a radical shift in Murano glass production toward massive forms, innovative materials—pulegoso, lattimo—and a sculptural plasticity that clearly distinguished him from his contemporaries.
The vases with snakes are today among the most sought-after pieces of his production.
Conservation note:
The vase rests on a gilded metal base engraved with lion's paws, a later production and not related to the original work.
It is almost certain that the original base was made of matching blown glass—as is customary in Venini/Martinuzzi production—and that it was damaged.
The replacement, although carried out with a reasonably high-quality support, significantly detracts from the work's collectible and market value: a complete example with its original glass base would fetch significantly higher prices at major international auction houses.
A real shame, considering the vase's exceptional quality.
1 500 €
Period: 20th century
Style: Art Deco
Condition: Fully restored
Material: Glass
Diameter: 23 cm.
Height: 37,5 cm.
Reference (ID): 1723403
Availability: In stock
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