Goblet
Object NameGoblet
Date1675-1725
OriginItaly, Venice (Murano)
MediumGlass, lattichino
Dimensions4 3/4 × 3 3/8 in. diameter (12.1 × 8.6 cm)
ClassificationsDecorative Arts, Glass
Credit LineGift of Ann and Henry Brunnier. In the Ann and Henry Brunnier Collection, Brunnier Art Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Object number3.5.4
Status
Not on viewCollections
CultureItalian
Label TextPerhaps the most characteristic of all Venetian glass work is "filigrana", which originated in the early sixteenth century and persisted into the eighteenth century. Filigrana literally means thread grained, and it is sometimes referred to as "latticino" glass. Made in an open mold, clear or colored glass was embedded with threads of opaque white glass and convoluted to produce either simple or intricate interlacing patterns. The simplest example of filigrana is found in the opaque white twist stems of eighteenth-century wineglasses.
Venetian glassmakers carried the technique to great lengths, creating ribboned, threaded and combed patterns. Two popular styles included "vetro a retorti" and "vetro a reticello", each seen in these glasses. Characterized by varying lace-like patterns, vetro a retorti illustrates an artisan's capacity to execute multiple patterns, while vetro a reticello, a net-like pattern throughout the glass, displays consistency and control of the medium.
Locations
- (not entered) Iowa State University, Brunnier Art Museum
