Archimede Seguso (1909-1999) Italian, For Murano Glass Carved Bear. Depicts a walking bear in off-white color. Appears to be unsigned. 

Condition: Small chip on one foot underside. 

Size: 9 x 4 x 6 in. 

#3420 #22 . 

Archimede Seguso was born on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy in 1909. As part of a long line of glassmakers, he began working for his father in the family furnace at the age of 11, refining his skills by remaking 18th Century glass pieces. In his early twenties he became a Master glass maker, distinguishing himself from his father’s style by developing heavy glass processing. He expanded the family factory, Seguso Vetri d’Arte, by hiring two new designers, Vittorio Zecchin and Flavio Poli, both of whom went on to be considered two of the most pivotal figures in the history of Murano glass. In the 1930s the company was invited to exhibit at the Venice Biennale, appearing there thirteen times in all over the next forty years. Seguso became known as the “Master of Animals” for his delicate, detailed, brightly-colored figures. During World War II he distanced himself from the Mussolini regime, eventually leaving the country for several years. In 1946 he returned to Murano and founded the Archimede Seguso Artistic Glass Factory, severing ties with the old family factory for good. He was part of the “A Thousand Years of Glass in Venice” exhibit at the Museo Correr in 1982, and had a solo exhibition at Tiffany & Co. in New York in 1989. He died in 1999, and many of his works can be seen in permanent displays at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Corning Glass Museum.

Small chip on one foot underside.