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.
Murano- Sommerso- glass vase vienna around 1960s
By Flavio Poli, Murano Glass Sommerso
Located in Wien, Au
Murano- Sommerso- glass vase vienna around 1960s Original condition
Glass
1960's Flavio Poli ashtray in Murano Sommerso Glass
By Murano Glass Sommerso, Flavio Poli
Located in Bern, BE
1960s stunning cobalt blue ashtray / decorative item. Designed by Flavio Poli in Murano Sommerso Glass. Made in Italy. A unique piece and beautiful shape and colour. Dimensions: Di...
Murano Glass
$460
H 3.54 in W 2.75 in D 2.75 in
1960s Stunning Blue Table Lighter in Murano Sommerso Glass By Flavio Poli
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
Mid-Century Modern table lighter designed by the renowned Flavio Poli, crafted in Murano, Italy, during the 1960s. This exquisite piece beautifully showcases the masterful sommerso (...
Murano Glass
1960's Flavio Poli Murano Sommerso Glass Ashtray / Bowl
By Murano Glass Sommerso
Located in Bern, BE
1960's blown glass ashtray. Designed by Flavio Poli in Murano Sommerso Glass. Made in Italy. A unique piece and beautiful shape and colour. Waves of beautiful peridot green. A genuin...
Murano Glass
Flavio Poli Murano Sommerso Glass Table Lighter, Italy, 1960s Design
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
1960 Stunning table lighter in Murano sommerso glass by Flavio Poli for Seguso. Made in italy. The item is in excellent condition and it works perfectly. Dimension: diam 5,11 x 4,3...
Murano Glass
Flavio Poli Murano Sommerso Glass Ashtray, Grey, 1960s, Excellent
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
1960s Astonishing Grey Ashtray or Catch-All By Flavio Poli for Seguso in Murano Sommerso Glass. The item is in excellent condition. Dimensions: 5,11 diameter x 3,14 H inches cm 13 x...
Murano Glass
$325Sale Price|67% Off
H 9.85 in W 4.34 in D 2.76 in
Large Sommerso Murano Glass Vase, Mid-Century Modern
By Murano Glass Sommerso
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Mid-Century Modern large Murano glass vase. Beautiful and rare vase with oval shaped sides and clear glass bottom. The golden glass is striking, especially in the daylight. Large eno...
Art Glass
Murano Sommerso ashtray from the 1960s
By Murano Glass Sommerso
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
Murano Sommerso Ashtray from the 1960s This Murano ashtray features an organic, asymmetrical shape, with a circular base and a wraparound desig...
Art Glass
$480
H 3.93 in W 4.33 in D 4.33 in
Flavio Poli Murano Sommerso Glass Table Lighter, Italy, 1960s Design
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
1960 Stunning table lighter in Murano sommerso glass by Flavio Poli for Seguso. Made in italy. The item is in excellent condition and it works perfectly. Dimension: diam 4,33 x 3,93...
Murano Glass
Large Seguso Vetri d'Arte Murano Sommerso Glass Bowl, 1960s
By Flavio Poli, Seguso Vetri d'Arte
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
Mid-Century Murano Sommerso Glass Ashtray, Italy, 1960s
By Flavio Poli
Located in Wien, AT
This striking mid-century Murano glass ashtray was crafted in the classic Sommerso technique, in which colored layers of glass are encased within clear crystal to create remarkable o...
Murano Glass
Flavio Poli Murano Glass Ashtray, Sommerso Design, 1960s, Excellent
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
1960s Astonishing ashtray or catch-all By Flavio Poli for Seguso in Murano Sommerso Glass. The item is in excellent condition. Dimension: 5,11" diameter x 3,14" H inches cm 13 x cm 8 H
Murano Glass
$1,232Sale Price|20% Off
H 3.15 in W 4.65 in D 9.26 in
Midcentury Cenedese Aquamarine and Amber Murano "Sommerso" Glass Bowl, 1960s
By Cenedese, Flavio Poli
Located in Roma, IT
Stunning midcentury aquamarine and amber Murano Glass Bowl. This fantastic piece was designed in Italy during the 1960s and it is attributed to...
Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass