Hi Elizabeth,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
American glass sculptor and entrepreneur Dale Chihuly is among the most well-regarded glass artists of the 20th and 21st Century. His academic career began at the University of Washington where he earned a BA in Interior Design in 1965. He then went on to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied under Harvey Littleton, founder of the first formal glass program in the United States. He graduated in 1967 with a Master of Science in Sculpture before moving on to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) where he received a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture in 1968. He would later return to RISD to establish a glass program and teach for many years.

After earning his third degree, he went to Venice, where he worked in the factory of Paolo Venini, a key architect of the 20th century design aesthetic and one of the leading producers of mid-century Murano glass. It was in Venini’s studio on the island of Murano that Chihuly first witnessed the team approach to blowing glass, a practice that would become an integral part of his work in the years to come.

Accidents, first a car crash in 1976 that caused the loss of his left, followed in 1979 by a surfing accident that left him unable to hold a glassblowing pipe, forced him to hire assistants. This new perspective allowed Chihuly to anticipate problems sooner and work more efficiently. Additionally, working with a team of master glassblowers enabled Chihuly’s studio to produce glass art on a scale and quantity that would be inconceivable for a single artist working alone.

His Carnival Macchia line is among his most successful and desirable ones; those that have a colored interior are more desirable than the clear one you have, which has a fair-market value of $1,000-1,500.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

Dale Chihuly (b. 1941),
Carnival Macchia Vase, 2002
Of asymmetrical undulating section and mottle yellow/cream/purple and brown palette, on a circular foot signed underneath.
9 inches tall, 8 inches wide
CONDITION: This vase appears to be in good condition
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$1,000-1,500*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia