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.
Ceiling lamp designed by Flavio Poli for Seguso 1960s
By Flavio Poli
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Rare 14463 ceiling lamp designed by Flavio Poli for Seguso in the 1960s, chromed brass structure, thick smoked glass. Excellent conditions, perfectly working. Bibliography: Marc Heir...
Brass, Chrome
SEGUSO - FLAVIO POLI - MURANO glass flower ceiling lamp - ITALY 1950s
By Flavio Poli, Seguso
Located in Milano, IT
Grande plafoniera in perfetto stato e funzionante, disegnata da FLAVIO POLI and produced by SEGUSO in MURANO in the 1950s. The ceiling light and very beautiful also used as a wall s...
Metal
$8,016 / set
H 27.56 in Dm 9.85 in
Flavio Poli Two Murano Bollicine Glass Chandeliers, Italian Design Seguso, 1940s
By Flavio Poli, Seguso
Located in Milan, IT
Flavio Poli was one of the greatest masters for glassmaking in Murano between the 1930s and 1960s. Murano glass works are rare and delicate objects: it is almost impossible to make t...
Murano Glass
$2,672Sale Price|30% Off
H 5.91 in Dm 21.66 in
Ceiling Lamp Bunch of Flowers Murano Art Glass Flavio Poli Seguso Style
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Ceiling lamp bunch of flowers Murano art glass with delicate flowers made of murano glass, pink color.
Murano Glass
Flavio Poli Italian Glass table lamp, 1960s
By Flavio Poli, Barovier Seguso & Ferro
Located in Delft, NL
Flavio Poli Italian Glass table lamp, Italy 1960s A hand-blown lamp on a round glass base, designed by Flavio Poli for Seguso, 1960s. The lamp has a yellow colored glass edge on the outer edges. It gives a nice effect. The lamp is 41 cm high with the socket and the base is 17 cm diagonally. The weight is 2485 grams. Flavio Poli was an Italian glass designer known for his vases and lamps. Born 1900 in Chioggia, Italy (died 1984). Flavio Poli received his education at the Istituto d'Arte di Venezia. In the late 1930s he became director and chief designer of Barovier, Seguso and Ferro, a Venetian glass-blowing company, which later became Seguso Vetri d'Arte. Poli's immersed glass pieces, made by layering transparent colors and textures, were later awarded Italy's Compasso d'Oro (Golden Compass...
Glass
$6,341
H 18.51 in Dm 11.42 in
rare Italian table lamp attributed to Flavio Poli for Seguso Murano glass
By Flavio Poli, Seguso
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Table lamp from the 60s attributed to Italian designer Flavio Poli for Seguso. Faceted pyramid base in thick orange Murano glass, oval white glass shade. Original, highly decorative ...
Murano Glass
Murano Glass Flush Mount Ceiling Light by Archimede Seguso, 1950s
By Archimede Seguso
Located in Long Island City, NY
Murano glass flush mount ceiling light by Seguso. Made in Italy in 1950s. Murano ribbed glass, brass, metal. 4 medium base sockets. Rewired for US. FREE US rewiring upon request. FRE...
Metal, Brass
Mid-Century Italian Murano Glass Pendant by Flavio Poli for Seguso, 1960s
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
Mid-Century chandelier in thick (27mm) aquamarine Murano glass and matte black metal by Flavio Poli for Seguso, 1960s. Suspension lamp, consisting of a cylindrical lamp holder made o...
Brass
Seguso Murano Flower Ceiling Lamp
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte
Located in Weesp, NL
Flower ceiling lamp Seguso Murano Gorgeous big handmade midcentury ceiling lamp “bunch of flowers” by Seguso, Murano, Italy. The art glass flowers are semi transparant with gold deta...
Art Glass
$7,500Sale Price / set|40% Off
H 31.07 in W 6 in D 5 in
Flavio Poli Lamps, Sommerso Glass, Blue, Gold, Seguso, Murano
By Seguso, Flavio Poli
Located in New York, NY
Flavio Poli Lamps, Sommerso Glass, Blue, Gold, Seguso, Murano. Pair of handblown Sommerso glass lamps in lapis blue, gold, and clear. Shade dimensi...
Brass
Multi-Color Murano Flower Glass Big Ceiling Light, 1950s
By Barovier&Toso
Located in Rome, IT
Barovier e Toso style Murano flower glass ceiling light, 1950s. Basket consists more 200 flowers Murano glass. Available also a pair of extraordinary scones published with a referen...
Blown Glass
Flavio Poli “Seguso“ Metal Crome Murano Glass 1960 Italy
By Flavio Poli
Located in Milano, IT
Seguso “Flavio Poli “.
Murano Glass
Seguso Flavio Poli Murano Glass Lamp, Gold, Clear, Sommerso
By Seguso, Flavio Poli
Located in New York, NY
Seguso Flavio Poli Murano Glass Lamp, Gold, Clear, Sommerso. Teardrop form glass lamp in gold and clear with internal gold flakes. Mounted on 5 inch x 3.4 inch bronze base. Glass lam...
Blown Glass
Flavio Poli Murano Glass Table Lamp for Seguso, 1960s
By Flavio Poli, Seguso Vetri d'Arte
Located in Den Haag, NL
Graceful 1960s Murano glass table lamp by Flavio Poli for Seguso. The translucent forest green base produces a subtle lighting effect when the bulb is lit. New shade .
Murano Glass
Flavio Poli Redesigned Seguso Glass Flush Mount Hotel Bristol, Italy
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Flavio Poli
Located in Vienna, AT
Redesigned bespoke 44" flush mount from original Flavio Poli glass pieces from the hotel Bristol (Italy 1954) In 2015 we gave new life to glass from a 1950s ceiling fixture salvaged from the once magnificent Hotel Bristol in Meran, Italy upon the remaining components of the light fixtures and reengineered it with an entirely new metalware frame based on Led technology. The original gilt melted glass laces were carefully interwoven once again and cast into a more contemporary shape. In one of the pictures you can see one of the original lights by Flavio Poli with a brass frame whereas there have been many versions from the same glass pieces in the hotel. One light has already made its way to NYC and has been installed in an apartment there (see pictures). This is a unique opportunity to acquire one of the last remaining historical Poli glass pieces from the glamorous hotel Bristol as well as simply possessing a beautiful and large flush light, suited for a variety of different rooms and spaces. The Bristol...
Metal
Sold
H 28.75 in W 21.66 in D 21.66 in
1960 Italy Poliarte Interlocking Chandelier Amber & Clear Murano Glass & Chrome
By Poliarte, Flavio Poli
Located in Niederdorfelden, Hessen
Stunning interlocking chandelier with ninety-two thick and heavy, amber and clear Murano glasses suspended in three stages around a chromed met...
Chrome
Murano Flavio Poli Floral Flush Mount Chandelier, circa 1940
By Flavio Poli
Located in Firenze, Toscana
Housing three lights. Rare flowers in pink, blue, yellow and green. Clear floral pins. Metal body. Not missing a thing. Re-wired and ready to hang! Free priority shipping from Italy.
Metal
Pair of 1960s Flavio Poli for Seguso Flush Ceiling Lights
By Flavio Poli, Seguso Vetri d'Arte
Located in New York, NY
A rare original pair of 1960s square thick heavy blown Murano glass sleek modern flush ceiling lights made by Flavio Poli for Seguso glass. Newly rewired. Can be used as small pendan...
Chrome
Rare Foliate Glass Element Chandelier by Flavio Poli
By Flavio Poli
Located in New York, NY
Rare rectangular chandelier composed of pink and green foliate glass elements by Flavio Poli from the Hotel Bristol in Bolzano Italy.
Murano Glass
c 1940 Murano Flavio Poli Floral Flush Mount Chandelier
By Flavio Poli
Located in Firenze, Toscana
Housing 3 lights. Rare flowers in pink, blue, yellow and green. Clear floral pins. Metal body. Not missing a thing. Re-wired and ready to hang! Free priority shipping from Italy.
Metal
Sold
H 8.5 in W 80 in D 49 in
Large Rectangular, Colorful Murano Glass, Leaf Ceiling Fixture by Flavio Poli
By Flavio Poli
Located in New York, NY
Large rectangular ceiling fixture composed of multicolored Murano glass leaves by Flavio Poli for Seguso, for the Hotel Bristol Merano, Italy.
Murano Glass
Colorful Murano Glass Leaf Ceiling Fixture by Flavio Poli
By Flavio Poli
Located in New York, NY
Large rectangular ceiling fixture composed of multicolored Murano glass leaves by Flavio Poli for Seguso, for the Hotel Bristol Merano, Italy.
Murano Glass