This is an unusually large, mint condition other (some very tiny minor marks and scuffed label on the base), rare and beautiful work by Pauly & C, Venetian art glass makers.
Possibly a design by Flavio Poli himself, who was known to design for Pauly & C before he moved to the Seguso studio, it makes a dazzling centerpiece or a Murano glass collector's item. It's provenance is one owner before me, my parents. It is hard to estimate an exact date but i would say 1950s -1960s at latest. My parents bought it in Italy. I was born in 1966 and it was always in our family home. They certainly didn't make it to Italy any time after I came along. More photo/videos on request, just tell me what you want to see although I think I've covered all bases apart from rotating 360 degrees. All images are totally unretouched apart from tweaking brightness on the label and tape measure shots.
More background on the studio and the possible designer:
Flavio Poli is more widely recognized and sought after among 1960s Venetian glass designers, particularly for his pioneering work with the sommerso technique, which became iconic during that era.
His designs, especially the sommerso series, earned international acclaim, including four Grand Prix awards at the Milan Triennale and the Compasso d'Oro in 1954, solidifying his status as a leading figure in mid-century Italian glass design.
Poli's works are highly collectible and featured in prestigious museums such as the Murano Glass Museum, the Corning Museum of Glass, and MoMA in New York.
While Archimede Seguso was a prominent figure at Seguso Vetri d’Arte and collaborated with Poli, his legacy is often linked to the company’s broader artistic output rather than individual recognition on the same scale as Poli’s distinct and celebrated style.
...Flavio Poli was a prominent Venetian Murano glass designer, known for his pioneering work in the mid-20th century, particularly for developing the sommerso glass technique and serving as artistic director at Seguso Vetri d’Arte from 1934 to 1963.
He was born in Chioggia, Italy, in 1900 and died in Venice in 1984.
While Poli collaborated with several Murano glass factories, including Pauly & C., he was not the same person as the company.
His work with Pauly & C. occurred in the 1930s, where he contributed to the company’s shift toward modern design, creating blown animal figures and a notable crystal centerpiece for an Italian garden exhibited during Hitler’s visit to Italy.
However, Poli is most closely associated with Seguso Vetri d’Arte, where he significantly shaped the company’s artistic direction and legacy.
Therefore, while Flavio Poli was a key designer who worked with Pauly & C., he was not the company itself.