Hi Louisa,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

Stefano Toso is a respected—but somewhat under-the-radar—figure in late 20th-century Murano studio glass. Born in Venice in 1958 into a multi-generation Murano glassmaking family, he trained early with his father and then formally in multiple furnaces: where he studied hot work training (A.L.T. Glassworks), engraving (F. Moretti) and, under Livio Seguso, who was a key influence in cold-working and sculptural finishing. This mix of traditional furnace training + advanced cold-work technique is central to his identity.

He opened his own furnace and cold-working studio in 1977 at the age of 21, which is fairly young for a Murano master. Later, he partnered with Romano Donà (1982–mid-1990s) to refine his style. Since then, he has worked in the orbit of Fucina degli Angeli, a major postwar artistic glass initiative tied to painter–designer collaborations. This places him in the modern artistic Murano movement, not just decorative production.

Christian Riese Lassen (born 1956) is an American artist best known for highly polished, vividly colored marine-life paintings and prints, especially dolphins, whales, and ocean scenes. He rose to major commercial prominence in the 1980s–1990s. Because of this, your thought that this was a squid is

The resale market for works by Toso is a bit uneven; I would not be surprised to hear you'd purchased this from the gallery for a three- or four-figure price. 25 years later, this will not have appreciated in value - it's more likely to have decreased in value.

When Toso's sculptural pieces like this have come for sale at auction, they usually sell for between $400 and $800

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

Stefano Toso (Italian, b 1958)
"Cometa (Omaggio a Christian R Lassen)"
hand-blown glass sculpture
20 inches long
CONDITION: this appears to be in good condition
PROVENANCE: Purchased at a Key West, FL, gallery in 2001
$ 400-800*
*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