Sommersi, no. 3536

Between 1932 and 1947, Carlo Scarpa worked closely with Paolo Venini and other master glassblowers to pioneer techniques, silhouettes, and colors that thoroughly modernized the ancient traditions of the glass-making Venetian island Murano. New methods of surface decoration were invented and each vessel is named for the techniques employed in their making, emphasizing the fact that experimentation was crucial to producing such a dazzling array of visual and material effects.

Sommersi, meaning submerged, is a technique wherein colored glass is coated with transparent glass to create a multi-layered effect. Here, Scarpa formed an under layer of colored glass, using gold leaf and employing a second technique bollicine (air bubbles), which he then captured in a thick, clear layer. The result is a weighty piece which defies its materiality by recalling medieval vessels of rich, dense metals such as gold and bronze.