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.