This terrific example of the glass blowers art is in pristine condition. Many Italian companies have been producing this style of glass for close to a century (Venini, several shops from the island of Murano, etc), and an artisan named Erickson, a former shop foreman at Blenko, an American company, produced many designs using this technique in the 1940s through 1960, when the shop he had established after leaving Blenko closed. The vibrant blue color of this piece is rare and is coveted by glass collectors for it’s rich look. It’s scratch signed by the artisan “Yupa” on the ground bottom; this hallmark is light and small, hence no image. The ashtray measures 2 1/8” tall, 5” wide, 2.5” deep and weighs an impressive 16.6 ounces. In many cases bullicante is not really that controlled, as is evidenced by the way Italian glass artisans often employed the technique; placing evenly spaced bubbles in the hot glass, and then letting them change shape as the glass was further manipulated into the shape desired. The bubbles are VERY controlled in this piece speaking to the talent of the artisan. Very collectable.
