Thomas Stearns - Design New York Tuesday, June 11, 2013 | Phillips

Design

New York 11 June 2013 11am

  • Provenance

    Acquired directly from Venini, 1960s
    Thence by descent

  • Literature

    Marina Barovier, Rosa Barovier Mentasti and Attilia Dorigato, Il Vetro Di Murano Alle Biennali 1895-1972, Milan, 1995, pp. 97, 199, pl. 149
    Franco Deboni, Murano '900, Milan, 1996, p. 311, pl. 227
    Helmut Ricke and Eva Schmitt, Italian Glass, Murano-Milan, 1930-1970: The Collection of the Steinberg Foundation, New York, 1997, p. 169, pl. 158
    Anna Venini Diaz de Santillana, Venini Catalogue Raisonné 1921-1986, Milan, 2000, p. 222, cat. no. 187
    Franco Deboni, Venini Glass, Milan, 2003, p. 53 for the XXXI Biennale installation, pl. 170
    Franco Deboni, Venini Glass, Catalogue 1921-2007, Turin, 2007, pl. 235

  • Catalogue Essay

    During his apprenticeship and subsequent employment at Venini from late 1960 until 1962, American artist Thomas Stearns created a series of unconventional glass designs characterized by asymmetrical forms in subdued colors (as with the present lot) and other larger, sculptural works characterized by broad strokes of color. Venini presented six of the young artist’s works at the XXXI Venice Biennale in 1962. The exhibition included Stearn’s “Cappello del Doge” vase which comprised various bands of opaque and transparent glass fused together using the ancient incalmo technique.

93

Thomas Stearns

"Cappello del Doge" vase

1961-1962
Hand-blown opaque and transparent incalmo glass.
5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm) high; 5 1/8 in. (13 cm) wide
Produced by Venini, Italy. Underside acid-etched with venini/murano/ITALIA.

Estimate
$16,000 - 18,000 

Sold for $60,000

Contact Specialist
Meaghan Roddy
Head of Sale
mroddy@phillips.com
+ 1 212 940 1266

Design

New York 11 June 2013 11am