Description
Turquoise cased in crystal with intentionally placed interior bubble decor. Made in 1950s-1960s Italy. High-end art glass ashtray with wide rests for cigars but accommodates smaller smokes too.
Lots of concentric and looping bubbles expertly trapped in the interior, this required a skilled craftsman. Many famous glass artists from mid-20th century Venice and the isle of Murano produced upscale, useful and beautiful items for export all over the world in the 1950s & 1960s. This object is not signed, but surely from a fine glasshouse.
The ‘colorless’ exterior layer of glass is called ‘Cristallo’. Cristallo, a colorless glass recipe rediscovered in Italy during the Dark Ages, has a slight greyish tint. It was made with minerals that react with a green glow under black light. See image 7. The interior is stained with a soothing retro turquoise green. The colors and the bubbles glitter in the light. In some lights, it can appear almost solid turquoise in color.
Weighs 2.6 lbs. Measures 6½” wide and just over 2″ tall. In near perfect condition with the only signs of age on the base where it has rested against surfaces for 50+ years (bottom-wear). Four fat cradle rests were cut into the glass and polished.
