Adriano Dalla Valentina, Murrine Vase With Peacock Eyes
Artist: Adriano Dalla Valentina
Adriano Dalla Valentina
(Murano 1945 – 2019)
Murrine Vase with Peacock Eyes
Ovoid body with a cylindrical neck made of blown glass with polychrome murrine and gold leaf inclusions and aventurine; cobalt blue glass border.
31 x 16 x 16 cm
Murano, late 20th century
Excellent condition
The Master
Adriano Dalla Valentina was born in Murano in 1945, where he lived and worked his entire life.
He studied the raw materials and ancient techniques—filigree and murrine—forgoing modern, massive decorative sculpture for lightweight, thin, and delicate glass, personalizing each piece with his own personal touch.
At 24, he opened his own independent glassworks, building over the years a reputation as one of the greatest Murano masters, sharing his expertise with students at the Venice Art Institute.
His works are exhibited in major European cities, Japanese museums, and art galleries in the United States. Having passed away in 2019, he leaves a remarkable legacy in Murano glassmaking.
The Murrina Technique: History and Process
Murrine processing is one of the oldest and most fascinating glassmaking techniques, with roots dating back to Roman antiquity.
During the Middle Ages, the technique was lost, but was revived towards the end of the 19th century at the Salviati glassworks by Vincenzo Moretti.
The process is extraordinarily complex.
To form a single murrina with concentric layers, the furnace must contain crucibles containing soft glass of different colors.
A worker takes a small amount of glass from the first crucible at the tip of an iron rod, immediately covering it with more glass from a second crucible, layering it in different colors until a cylinder weighing five or six kilograms is formed.
Once the cylinder is made even, a second iron rod is attached and the mixture is handed over to the "tiracanna" (rod stretchers), who stretch it to the desired diameter. This results in a rod with concentric circles.
Once cooled, the rods are precisely cut into slices: the result is murrina. The master glassmaker then places the murrinas one by one on a hot plate to fuse them with the finished object, creating a veritable mosaic.
The "Peacock Eyes" Vase
The vase features a broad, generous ovoid body that tapers into a slender cylindrical neck, crowned by a polished cobalt blue glass rim—a detail of great chromatic elegance that is also visible inside the vase.
The entire exterior surface is covered with a dense weave of "eye" murrine, arranged in regular, close rows that cover the body like the scales of a precious, fantastical being.
Each individual murrine features a concentric structure—a dark core, a gold leaf ring, and an ivory/gray outer crown—that evokes with extraordinary precision the "ocellatura" of a peacock feather, a motif derived from Symbolism and Art Deco.
The view from above reveals the vase's internal structure: a sky-blue backdrop crisscrossed by polychrome murrine—ultramarine blue, golden yellow, and ivory—arranged in a centrifugal spiral, creating a kaleidoscopic effect of rare beauty.
The gray-green background of the outer surface, enhanced by inclusions of golden aventurine, transforms the light that strikes it into an iridescent reflection, lending the whole an almost mineral quality.
This is one of Dalla Valentina's most accomplished pieces, in which technical discipline reaches full poetic expression.
(Murano 1945 – 2019)
Murrine Vase with Peacock Eyes
Ovoid body with a cylindrical neck made of blown glass with polychrome murrine and gold leaf inclusions and aventurine; cobalt blue glass border.
31 x 16 x 16 cm
Murano, late 20th century
Excellent condition
The Master
Adriano Dalla Valentina was born in Murano in 1945, where he lived and worked his entire life.
He studied the raw materials and ancient techniques—filigree and murrine—forgoing modern, massive decorative sculpture for lightweight, thin, and delicate glass, personalizing each piece with his own personal touch.
At 24, he opened his own independent glassworks, building over the years a reputation as one of the greatest Murano masters, sharing his expertise with students at the Venice Art Institute.
His works are exhibited in major European cities, Japanese museums, and art galleries in the United States. Having passed away in 2019, he leaves a remarkable legacy in Murano glassmaking.
The Murrina Technique: History and Process
Murrine processing is one of the oldest and most fascinating glassmaking techniques, with roots dating back to Roman antiquity.
During the Middle Ages, the technique was lost, but was revived towards the end of the 19th century at the Salviati glassworks by Vincenzo Moretti.
The process is extraordinarily complex.
To form a single murrina with concentric layers, the furnace must contain crucibles containing soft glass of different colors.
A worker takes a small amount of glass from the first crucible at the tip of an iron rod, immediately covering it with more glass from a second crucible, layering it in different colors until a cylinder weighing five or six kilograms is formed.
Once the cylinder is made even, a second iron rod is attached and the mixture is handed over to the "tiracanna" (rod stretchers), who stretch it to the desired diameter. This results in a rod with concentric circles.
Once cooled, the rods are precisely cut into slices: the result is murrina. The master glassmaker then places the murrinas one by one on a hot plate to fuse them with the finished object, creating a veritable mosaic.
The "Peacock Eyes" Vase
The vase features a broad, generous ovoid body that tapers into a slender cylindrical neck, crowned by a polished cobalt blue glass rim—a detail of great chromatic elegance that is also visible inside the vase.
The entire exterior surface is covered with a dense weave of "eye" murrine, arranged in regular, close rows that cover the body like the scales of a precious, fantastical being.
Each individual murrine features a concentric structure—a dark core, a gold leaf ring, and an ivory/gray outer crown—that evokes with extraordinary precision the "ocellatura" of a peacock feather, a motif derived from Symbolism and Art Deco.
The view from above reveals the vase's internal structure: a sky-blue backdrop crisscrossed by polychrome murrine—ultramarine blue, golden yellow, and ivory—arranged in a centrifugal spiral, creating a kaleidoscopic effect of rare beauty.
The gray-green background of the outer surface, enhanced by inclusions of golden aventurine, transforms the light that strikes it into an iridescent reflection, lending the whole an almost mineral quality.
This is one of Dalla Valentina's most accomplished pieces, in which technical discipline reaches full poetic expression.
500 €
Period: 20th century
Style: Other Style
Condition: Excellent condition
Material: Glass
Diameter: 16 cm.
Height: 31 cm.
Reference (ID): 1723409
Availability: In stock
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