Italian glass artist Flavio Poli’s innovative use of the sommerso technique during the 1950s added a dimension of exquisite beauty and refined elegance to mid-century-era Murano glass design. Today Poli’s vintage table lamps, glass vases, ashtrays and other objects are highly collectible.
Born in Chioggia in 1900, Poli attended the prestigious Istituto d’Arte di Venezia where he trained as a ceramist before turning his attention toward glass art. His career in glass began in 1929 when he worked at the Industrie Vetrerie Artistiche Murano, designing and creating large-scale glass sculptures, urns and bowls.
During the 1930s, Poli was a glass artist for manufacturer Barovier, Seguso and Ferro (later known as Seguso Vetri d’Arte), where he worked alongside pioneering glass master Archimede Seguso. Poli was later appointed artistic director at the Venetian glassworks.
Inspired by Seguso, Poli began to experiment with his own glassblowing techniques. In the 1950s, he helped popularize the decades-old sommerso style, which sees overlapping layers of transparent handblown glass melded through a heating process and immersed in pots of molten colored glass. The style yields a sophisticated and mesmerizing effect — it's as if colored fluids have been trapped inside the layers of clear glass. Poli made use of variations on the technique in many of his pieces, including in designs for vases, bowls, sculptures and more.
Poli’s unparalleled designs and innovative work with the sommerso technique garnered numerous awards and accolades throughout his career. He won five Grand Prix awards at the Milan Triennale and was awarded the Compasso d’Oro prize in 1954. Poli’s designs were also presented at the World’s Fair in Brussels and the Venice Biennale in 1958.
Today, Poli’s work can be found in museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Murano Glass Museum in Venice, Museo Boncompagni Ludovisi in Rome and the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia.
Find vintage Flavio Poli decorative objects, serveware and lighting on 1stDibs.
Seguso Vetri d'Arte Murano Diamond Quilted Italian Art Glass Bird Decanter
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Flavio Poli
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful and very rare, vintage large Murano hand blown clear diamond quilted surface, with pink accents, Italian art glass decorative bird decanter. The piece is documented to desi...
Metal
Flavio Poli & Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Corroso Sommerso Vase, Italy 1957
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Flavio Poli
Located in La Teste-de-Buch, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Flavio Poli & Seguso Vetri d'Arte Corroso (Acid etched) and Sommerso (Different color layers) Vase Made in Italy circa 1957 Literature: Seguso Vetri d'Arte Glass Objects From Murano (1932-1973) - Marc Heiremans...
Blown Glass
$4,429
H 10.36 in Dm 17.72 in
Huge Seguso Vetri d'Arte White Scavo Vintage Murano Glass Bowl Centrepiece 1980s
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Karl Springer
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Seguso Vetri d'Arte white 'a Scavo' centrepiece bowl circa 1980s. Karl Springer designed many pieces for Seguso in the 1980s. Typically, these pieces were either white, black or brow...
Murano Glass
$2,450
H 6.5 in Dm 5.75 in
Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri d'Arte Blown Glass Vase Model 7609, Italy, 1940s
By Flavio Poli, Seguso Vetri d'Arte
Located in New York, NY
Seguso Vetri d'Arte elegant glass vase model 7609, Italy, circa 1942. This Murano blown glass vase was made using the cordonato ritorto technique of gently twisting ribbed glass in a...
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
$1,800
H 16.62 in Dm 6.23 in
Tall Green 'A Scavo' Murano Glass Fluted Vase Attributed to Seguso Vetri d'Arte
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Tall fluted green 'a Scavo' glass vase or candlestick holder attributed to Seguso Vetri d'Arte Murano, Italy. Elegant in form and showing extraordinary craftmanship with the use of t...
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
$1,400
H 5 in W 15 in D 8.5 in
Large Murano Art Glass Sommerso Bowl attributed Flavio Poli Seguso Vetri D’Arte
By Flavio Poli
Located in Ann Arbor, MI
Large Murano Art glass Sommerso bowl attributed to Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri D’Arte circa 1950s.
Art Glass
Large Seguso Vetri d'Arte Murano Sommerso Glass Bowl, 1960s
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Flavio Poli
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Large Seguso Vetri d'Arte Murano Sommerso Glass Bowl, 1960s. A very large Murano sommerso art glass bowl. Designed by Flavio Poli or Mario ...
Art Glass, Murano Glass
$1,985
H 11.23 in W 5.12 in D 5.52 in
Murano Art Glass Jug by Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri d'Arte ca. 1962
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Flavio Poli
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Murano Art Glass Jug by Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri d'Arte ca. 1962 A Murano art glass jug designed by Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri d'Arte ca. 1962. Cristallo antico...
Art Glass, Murano Glass
$5,594 / set
H 5.83 in Dm 2.96 in
Seguso Vetri d'Arte Ensemble of 'A Scavo' Murano Art Glass Vases and Vessels
By Vittorio Rigattieri, Seguso Vetri d'Arte
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Wonderful collection / ensemble of 'a Scavo' colored / coloured glass vases and vessels by Vittorio Rigatierri, who took over from Marco Pinzoni as Artistic Director in 1971 until 19...
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Seguso Vetri d’Arte, Murano – Large Glass Centerpiece Bowl, 1980s
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte
Located in Brescia, Brescia
A striking hand-blown Murano glass centerpiece bowl by Seguso Vetri d’Arte, signed and bearing the original label from the period. Executed in vibrant shades of turquoise and deep c...
Glass, Art Glass
Seguso Vetri d'Arte Murano Sommerso Glass Bowl 1960s
By Flavio Poli, Seguso Vetri d'Arte
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Seguso Vetri d'Arte Murano Sommerso Glass Bowl 1960s Item e7099 An asymetric Murano sommerso art glass bowl. Attributed to Flavio Poli and Seguso Vetri d'Arte circa 1950s. Manufactur...
Art Glass, Murano Glass
$6,500
H 4.14 in Dm 11.23 in
Seguso Vetri d'Arte Large Red, Pink Opaline Murano Glass Fruit Bowl circa 1980s
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Archimede Seguso, Alfredo Barbini
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Seguso Vetri d'Arte large vintage murano glass fruit bowl. This is a magical piece of murano glass - measuring a large 28.5cms / 11 inches in d...
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Large Seguso Vetri d'Arte Citron and Clear Murano Vase by Flavio Poli
By Flavio Poli, Archimede Seguso
Located in North Miami, FL
Made by Seguso for Poli, this incredible citron colored Murano glass floating inside a larger clear glass surround makes this large vase quite heavy. It is so vivid in color and beau...
Murano Glass
Pair of Flavio Poli Murano Glass Bottles Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Italy, 1960s
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Flavio Poli
Located in Basel, BS
Rare pair of large Flavio Poli bottles for Seguso Vetri d‘Arte, designed around 1962-1963, mouth-blown and hand-shaped in Sommerso glass. Red bottle is 46 cm tall Yellow-brown bo...
Blown Glass, Sommerso
Luigi Onesto Murano Glass Decanter and Vase
By Flavio Poli, Murano Glass Sommerso
Located in North Miami, FL
This lovely pair of plum/pink/ blue toned decanter and bud vase by Luigi Onesto. Vase dimensions: 4 inch D. x 5.5 inch H.
Murano Glass
Flavio Poli for Seguso Decanter in Warm Gray Sommerso Murano Glass
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Flavio Poli
Located in Astoria, NY
An Italian Murano glass decanter by designer Flavio Poli for Seguso Vetri d'Arte, produced circa 1960s, in warm gray cased by clear Somme...
Blown Glass, Sommerso, Smoked Glass