The Venini Bolle bottles are among Venini’s most iconic and enduring designs, created in 1966 by Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala. Known for their timeless elegance, these bottles are celebrated as functional items and as artworks, displayed in museums worldwide.
Tapio Wirkkala’s design reintroduced the ancient Incalmo technique, a method that had fallen out of favor. This technique, from the Italian word meaning “fusion,” involves fusing two separate glass elements of the same diameter but in different colors while still in their molten state. Through this intricate process, Venini artisans create glass forms with concentric rings of color. The technique can be repeated multiple times, allowing for endless combinations of hues and layers, each contributing to the piece’s character.
Each Bolle bottle has a raised element at its base, symbolizing the bounce of a water droplet—a nod to nature’s influence on the design. This detail showcases the skill of Venini’s glassblowers, who bring the design to life with precise craftsmanship and artistry. Each bottle becomes a testament to the heritage of Venetian glassmaking, capturing the fluidity and beauty of glass in motion.
Venini Bolle details
- Brand: Venini
- Collection: Bolle
- Material: Murano glass
- Color: grass green, amber yellow and violet
- Height: 47,5 cm / 5.51 in
- Diameter: 14 cm / 18.70 in
- Design: Tapio Wirkkala
The Venini Bolle bottle showcases the intricate “Incalmo” technique, a specialized glassmaking method in which two distinct types of glass are fused together to create a single piece with clearly defined, contrasting color bands. This technique involves working with separate glass segments that are carefully blown and shaped to the same diameter. When each segment reaches the precise temperature and consistency, the glassblower fuses them together in their molten form, creating a seamless yet visually distinct transition between colors.
The process demands extreme precision, as each piece must be shaped and joined at the exact moment when both glass segments share compatible qualities for fusion. The result is a beautifully crafted glass object with vibrant, uninterrupted bands of color that showcase both the skill and artistry of the glassmaker. Incalmo allows for endless design possibilities, giving the glass an expressive, multi-dimensional quality. Venini’s Bolle bottles are a perfect example of how this technique can elevate functional glassware into art, displaying craftsmanship that has been refined over centuries.
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