$265.00

ON HOLD!

ON HOLD FOR WES! Our prices are in AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS- AU$265– (about $199 AMERICAN). Posted from North BRISBANE at cost price plus $3 for packing materials and boxing. We regularly visit an electrical store and take away their used packing material before it ends up as landfill. This listing also appears for people wishing to sell a piece of this calibre through iNVISeDGE. (13% commission fee for regular sellers of decorative arts pieces.) Use the links below.

 

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ON HOLD FOR WES!

Our prices are in AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS- AU$265 (about $199 AMERICAN). Posted from North BRISBANE at cost price plus $3 for packing materials and boxing.

Background Info and Provenance

An Alfredo Barbini bird beautifully signed to the base, “A. Barbini”. I’ve had a couple of Barbini’s pieces over the years and lusted over many others online- the signature on this one is certainly authentic but this is also a documented Barbini design. He’s executed it to perfection. The simplicity here is breath-taking … the stylish flowing shape and “bleeding” of colours create a magic that many artists are trying to achieve but so few can pull off. Barbini was a master at his trade and a piece like this shows us why. Is it complicated? Not really- though make no mistake, creating something like this BY HAND takes many years of practice! Has he nailed the “flow” he set out to create? Of course! The way the light shimmers through this piece and the stylish shape is simply magical.

Alfredo Barbini worked on the island of Murano in Italy all his life and was one of the most influential glass artists of the 20th century- I’ve seen some of his pieces online for over $10,000. Barbini became a Master Glassblower in 1929 and continued practicing up until his death in 2012. His use of the Sommerso technique was taken to new levels in the 1950’s and 60’s- he used this technique with stylized shapes (sometimes depicting creatures such as birds and fish). Most of his pieces display a sense of simplicity yet communicate an essence that’s hard to define. Many just jump off the computer screen when you stumble across them. (I had to include a screenshot of one of his bowls in this listing- many artists have made bowls but this thing is simply divine- it’s as close to perfection an artist can get! Alfredo Barbini died in 2012 leaving a legacy of work behind that has found adulation with collectors the world over.

There is something very special about handling HAND-MADE art glass created by one of the masters and a deep satisfaction from knowing the piece has been made to endure longer than a season or the next trend. As you get to enjoy your piece over time, or sell it to a new appreciating owner or pass onto your children, there’s an unwavering satisfaction you get. Perhaps it’s from passing on the stories the piece accumulates over generations, perhaps it’s from knowing that investing in items that endure is the best way you can reduce landfill, perhaps it’s just from knowing it was a wise financial investment you made all those years ago. Some homewares end up as landfill within a matter of years; others only become more prized as time goes on.

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