Barbini Murano opalescent 59cm 4.4kg ribbed console bowl

May 14 2007 and we're back into listing again.  Here's a special piece to celebrate.  It's a HUGE 9.5 ib, 24 inch, Barbini console with curled tips.  This design, minus the curly ends appears in the 1965 Weil Ceramics & Glass, Alfredo Barbini catalog.  Weil imported Barbini glass into the US.  The curled tips are not something we've seen before on this design, nor have we seen it in opalescent glass.  Both make it rarer and more valuable.  The pinky internal layer is opalescent, milky and iridescent, resembling the colours in an opal. The process to create opaline glass required the glass blower to blow lead powder directly into the glass during the process, and is now prohibited due to health concerns.

This piece is from around that time, probably from the mid to late 60s.  Weil folded in the 1970s as automated mass production (of inferior but cheaper products) changed the market.  That's why the 50s and 60s, when the Italian lire was very low and the level of craftsmanship was very high, was the golden age of Murano glass.  Barbini himself was perhaps Murano's finest glassblower of the period and the standards of his workshop were very high.

Ross has made major, (though invisible to the outside world) changes to the business's website and database.  Peter's other business has been very busy, tying him up with training and consulting, including one memorable trip to India to train call centre staff.  Glen has been very tied up with a new property he has bought and is developing.  Viv has borne the brunt of dealing with customers in Peter and Glen's absence, (along with running a household and taking care of three kids), but hasn't had time to put new listings on the website.  Anyway, Peter is now back and raring to list glass.  We've got some exciting things to sell.

Length: 59cm (24 inches)
Height: 17 cm
Width: 15.5
Weight: 4.4kg (9.5 lb)

Condition:  Sadly, since we listed this, the piece has suffered some damage.  There are two impact marks on the upper rim, the result of a guest at our house moving another piece and banging it into this one.  The impact marks are not obvious, and he still doesn't know he did any damage, which is how we'll leave it.  The price has been reduced as a consequence. One is 4 mm x 4mm and the other is 8mm x 5mm.   I'll put a photo of them in the listing sometime soon.  Expected wear scratches on the base.  This is probably the only one you'll ever see of these, in any condition. 

Our Reference: 2383

This item has sold for US $290.00

Buy more to cut down your average shipping costs! We will calculate your shipping discount for the purchase of multiple pieces.
We only sell beautiful glass