Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
An exceptionally heavy, hand-formed Murano art glass ashtray featuring a striking bi-color sommerso design. The piece showcases a deep cobalt blue core suspended within a vibrant emerald green outer layer, shaped with two prominent rests that give it a stylized, organic silhouette.
Story
Crafted on the Venetian island of Murano during the height of the post-war design boom, this piece represents a time when functional smoking accessories were treated as high-art centerpieces for modern living rooms.
Maker / Origin
While unsigned, this style of heavy, multi-layered sommerso glass is highly characteristic of prominent Murano workshops such as Seguso Vetri d'Arte or Mandruzzato. These family-run furnaces combined centuries-old techniques with bold, geometric modernism, defining the look of mid-century luxury.
Condition & Value
The glass shows excellent clarity and vibrant color preservation. The underside of the flat-ground base exhibits typical light shelf wear and fine scratches consistent with age and use, which actually helps verify its vintage origin. No major chips or cracks are visible.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.