Italian glass artist Flavio Poli’s innovative use of the sommerso technique during the 1950s added a dimension of exquisite beauty and refined elegance to mid-century-era Murano glass design. Today Poli’s vintage table lamps, glass vases, ashtrays and other objects are highly collectible.
Born in Chioggia in 1900, Poli attended the prestigious Istituto d’Arte di Venezia where he trained as a ceramist before turning his attention toward glass art. His career in glass began in 1929 when he worked at the Industrie Vetrerie Artistiche Murano, designing and creating large-scale glass sculptures, urns and bowls.
During the 1930s, Poli was a glass artist for manufacturer Barovier, Seguso and Ferro (later known as Seguso Vetri d’Arte), where he worked alongside pioneering glass master Archimede Seguso. Poli was later appointed artistic director at the Venetian glassworks.
Inspired by Seguso, Poli began to experiment with his own glassblowing techniques. In the 1950s, he helped popularize the decades-old sommerso style, which sees overlapping layers of transparent handblown glass melded through a heating process and immersed in pots of molten colored glass. The style yields a sophisticated and mesmerizing effect — it's as if colored fluids have been trapped inside the layers of clear glass. Poli made use of variations on the technique in many of his pieces, including in designs for vases, bowls, sculptures and more.
Poli’s unparalleled designs and innovative work with the sommerso technique garnered numerous awards and accolades throughout his career. He won five Grand Prix awards at the Milan Triennale and was awarded the Compasso d’Oro prize in 1954. Poli’s designs were also presented at the World’s Fair in Brussels and the Venice Biennale in 1958.
Today, Poli’s work can be found in museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Murano Glass Museum in Venice, Museo Boncompagni Ludovisi in Rome and the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia.
Find vintage Flavio Poli decorative objects, serveware and lighting on 1stDibs.
SEGUSO - Murano glass chandelier - 1950s
By Seguso
Located in Milano, IT
Original chandelier from the SEGUSO glassworks A very light and elegant line to fit perfectly into both modern and antique decor. Perfect condition of conservation.
Murano Glass
Seguso Ceilling Light/Sconse Murano Glass iron Brass, 1950, Italy
By Seguso
Located in Milano, IT
Seguso ceilling light/sconce Murano glass iron brass, 1950, Italy.
Murano Glass
VENINI Mazzega. Lampadario Murano Glass Metal Crome 1955 Italy
By Venini
Located in Milano, IT
ECCEZIONALE LAMPADARIO IN VETRO DI MURANO E METALLO CROMATO DI MAZZEGA PER VENINI in OTTIMO STATO PROVENIENTE DA UNA VILLA MILANESE....
Murano Glass
Seguso Ceilling Light Murano Glass Iron, 1950, Italy
By Seguso
Located in Milano, IT
Seguso ceilling light Murano glass iron, 1950, Italy.
Murano Glass
PIETRO CHIESA - FONTANARTE - 2-light chandelier - Made in ITALY 1950s
By Fontana Arte, Pietro Chiesa
Located in Milano, IT
PIETRO CHIESA - FONTANARTE - 1950s 2-light chandelier , composed of a glass of grosso spedite nile green color, 2 cups of murano glass green color, and stello and frame of brass and ...
Brass
VENINI Toni Zuccheri Ceiling Lamp/Appliques Murano Glass Metal Crome 1950 Italy
By Toni Zuccheri
Located in Milano, IT
Ceiling/wall sconce VENINI model TONI ZUCCHERI MURANO GLASS CORTECCIA AND CHROMED METAL AND BLACK IRON FROM 1950 IN EXCELLENT CONDITION.....
Murano Glass
Important Large Lamp Bulbo Model by Aureliano Toso Murano 1960-70
By Aureliano Toso
Located in Asti, Piemonte
Important large table lamp designed by Aureliano Toso, Bulbo Model, Murano, 1960-70 This monumental lamp it is composed of glasses s mounted on a chromed metal structure . Perfect conditions. Aureliano Toso one of the best glassworks together with Venini and Barovier & Toso Biography The glass factory was founded in 1938 by Aureliano Toso who, from the beginning, made use of the collaboration of the painter Dino Martens, whose qualities he had already appreciated as a designer. The first relevant experiments, at a research level, appear at the XXII Biennale in 1942, with a series of glass in contrasting colored bands and one of thick spiral-shaped glass with polychrome inclusions. In 1948 he created one of the most significant pieces, "The Magician's Bottle", exhibited at the Historical Exhibition of Murano Glass and in the 1952 Biennale, anticipating the successful "Oriente" series. For the first time, glass was used like any other medium through which an artist could express himself. From 1946 to 1960 Dino Martens designed an incredible series of pieces for Toso, mostly unique or in limited editions, with which, using traditional techniques, he was able to obtain very new polychrome effects, combined with extremely daring and difficult to execute asymmetrical shapes. In this research the artist was greatly helped by the owner who supported him by providing him with considerable means and the collaboration of some of the best masters of the island such as the famous Aldo Bon "Polo", Mario Zanetti and Silvano Simioni. The Vetreria participated in the most important events in Italy and abroad, enjoying great critical success, confirmed by the assignment of various prizes, including the gold medal at the Milan Triennale in 1951. For a short time Italian and foreign artists collaborated, we remember Fioravante Seibezzi, Aldo Bergamini and Jan Le Witt...
Murano Glass
Italian Mid-Century Modern Murano fluch mount by Franco Luce, 1970s
By Franco Luce
Located in Palermo, PA
Lovely Murano glass flowers ceiling light, designed by Franco Luce, 1970s. Every flower is unique in it's shape since the are hand blown. Glass are without any chips, the metal base ...
Metal
Original Vintage Flush mount Lamp attributed to Barovier & Toso, Murano, 1980s
By Barovier&Toso
Located in Trieste, IT
Ceiling flush mount with numerous Murano crystal flowers placed on the iron structured net. The ceiling light has 6 Edison 14 light bulb fittings. T Production date between 1970 an...
Metal
Murano chandelier by Flavio Poli for Seguso, Italy, 1960s
By Seguso, Flavio Poli
Located in Miklavž Pri Taboru, SI
Amazing rare Murano chandelier by Flavio Poli for Seguso made in Italy in the 1960s. Flavio Poli (1900-1984) was an Italian glass artist celebrated for his pioneering work with the r...
Metal
Mid Century Modern Flush Mount in Murano Slass, attr. to Seguso, Italy ca. 1970
By Seguso
Located in Merida, Yucatan
Beautiful Flush Mount that consists of a lacquered metal frame paved in frosted pink and clear Murano glass flowers.
Murano Glass
Italian Murano Floral Flush Mount Ceiling or Wall Lamp by Barovier & Toso, 1960s
By Barovier&Toso
Located in Hamburg, DE
Ceiling or wall lamp in the style of a flower basket, manufactured by Barovier & Toso in Murano/ Italy in the 1960s. Murano glass clear blossoms with transparent points on the fix...
Murano Glass
