Murano Bullicante Aventurine Murano glass pear sculpture by Alfredo Barbini. Each fruit-shaped sculpture features transparent and red glass, with the signature Bullicante technique creating controlled air bubbles within the body of the glass. The bubbles, arranged in a uniform pattern, enhance the depth and luminosity of the colors, giving the fruit a striking, almost effervescent look. The red hues make the pieces visually vibrant, while the controlled bubbles add texture and light-reflecting qualities.
Alfredo Barbini was an Italian glass artist and designer known for his sculptures rendered in his signature vetro sommerso technique, where colors or additional pieces are seamlessly introduced to the larger whole. Born in 1912 in Venice, Italy, Barbini grew up in Murano and learned the traditional techniques of glassblowing in his teens as an apprentice at the Cristallerina Franchetti and the S.A.I.A.R. Ferro Toso, and was recognized as a Maestro before he was 20 years old. He worked under famed artist Napoleone Martinuzzi in the mid-1930s, opening his own furnace called Vetreria Alfredo Barbini is 1950. Experimenting throughout his career with glass’s plasticity, he created delicately colored organic and biomorphic objects, in addition to symbolic models and animals.
His mastery of the Bullicante technique is evident in his vibrant yellow and red pear and apple sculptures, where controlled air bubbles enhance depth and texture. Barbini's works are admired for their fluid forms and rich colors, solidifying his legacy in Murano's glassmaking history.
Foil Tag: "Murano Glass, Made in Italy"
Italy, 1960
Measurements : 8" H x 4" D
