Museumfür GestaltungZürich

ZürcherHochschule derKünste

museum-gestaltung.cheGuide.cheMuseum.ch

VaseLa Mina

Carlo Scarpaca. 1936

1 2

1 Vase, 1940, Entwurf: Carlo Scarpa.Abbildung: Museum für GestaltungZürich / ZHdK

2 Schale, Murrine, 1940 (Ausführung:um 1970), Entwurf: Carlo Scarpa.Abbildung: Museum für GestaltungZürich / ZHdK

The Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa (1906–1978) playeda special role in modernizing glass production inMurano, tirelessly studying glass in all its colors andforms for over twenty years, which ultimately enabledhim to reinterpret it in innovative ways.

With his vase La Mina, the Venetian architect CarloScarpa created during the prewar depression years ajewel of glass art with an almost transcendentluminance. Scattered across a spherical jet-blackvessel, Scarpa had thirty separately blown glass ballsapplied in harmonious distribution. The resulting bombform owes its luster to the gold leaf laid over the prints,in some cases in several layers to create an impressionof great depth. The glass “landmine” also betrays akinship with the artist’s Corrosi series, produced from1936 to 1938. Here, the glassblower sprinkled theextremely thick surfaces with a coat of acid-soakedsawdust, causing corrosion. To emphasize the contour

lines of the glass objects, Scarpa almost always usedopaque glass in his sleek and unembellished creations.Scarpa acquired a rich stock of technical knowledge inhis post as artistic director for the glass manufacturerCappellin & C., later Venini & C., from the mid-1920suntil 1947, putting his knowledge into practice incooperation with the masters to create numerousvessels. In his longstanding engagement with glass, heignored the prevailing requirements for serialproduction and instead went in for seeminglyimpossible experiments. (Sabine Flaschberger)

Vase, Mina, um 1936Entwurf: Carlo ScarpaHerstellung: Venini & C. Vetri Soffiati Muranesi, Murano, ITMaterial/Technik: Glas; Blattgoldeinlage18 × 21 cmEigentum: Museum für Gestaltung Zürich / ZHdK

https://www.eguide.ch/en/objekt/mina/