Murano Sommerso Stylised Bird with Gold Inclusions

This is a highly attractive stylised bird in three layers – green, yellow and flint. It probably dates to about the 1960s to 1970s. Sommerso is the Italian for ‘submerged’ and is used to describe this type of Murano cased glass. Casing describes a molten coloured body that is seamlessly covered in another layer or a number of layers of differently coloured or colourless glass. The clear glass exterior casing can be pulled into extended shapes, creating interesting and complex optical effects. The wings, crest, beak and eyes have been separately applied in flint glass that contains tiny gold inclusions. The hollow body contains a controlled bubble pattern. The flint glass base is ridged and is polished flat. It has a maximum height of approximately 30.5cm. It is in excellent condition, with no chips or cracks.