■ FOOTED GOBLET IN COBALT BLUE GLASS, probably Italian, second half of the twentieth century, the full-bodied ovoid bowl hand-blown in uniform deep cobalt, clear and polished throughout, and raised not on a conventional stem but within an openwork armature of four curved glass ribs gathered at the upper stem and curving outward to cradle the bowl from beneath, the ribs descending to a slender cylindrical stem and circular disc foot, the whole worked in a single colour and assembled hot from separately formed elements.
The cage-armature vocabulary and the sculptural handling belong to the tradition of twentieth-century European studio glass - the independent practice of individual makers and small ateliers working outside the industrial production of the major manufactories. The piece is unsigned and unmarked, and is accordingly catalogued as studio glass of probable Italian origin, without further attribution.
Excellent condition consistent with age and use, without chips, cracks or repair. Height 22 cm (8 ⅝ inches); diameter of bowl approximately 8.5 cm (3 ⅜ inches); diameter of foot approximately 8 cm (3 ⅛ inches).