A.V.E.M.
Anzolo Fuga

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ANZOLO FUGA: Murano glass artist, Designs for A.VE.M.
1955 - 1968
by Rosa Barovier Mentasti, foreword by Evan Lobel
research assistant Alvise Schiavon



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"ARCOBALENO" 1956

The Arcobaleno series consists of a group of glass works presented at the 1956 Biennale in Venice, unfortunately in the records we do not find indication or descriptions of the pieces shown and there are no known photos of the actual stand, this is the only known and certain piece as the paper label of the Biennale, although partial, is ample proof.

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ARCOBALENO 1956 Code: Vi-0064
H 44,5 cm (17,5 in)	Blown glass with 2 elongated "chimneys" and solid base, main body in light green transparent glass, base in solid clear glass with a "murrina" style inclusion in red, blue and green glass towards the bottom. Along its side 4 double stripes are running along from bottom to top in red and green colors, the same of the "murrina", at different depth. It has partial sticker reading "..ternazio…. d'Arte ….zia 1956" meaning "Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Venezia 1956", the very official name of the Biennale of Venezia. Written in marker pen there is also a number 75 (possibly higher as the sticker is partially missing, could be 175 or any other ending with 75) which is most probably an internal Biennale reference number. Present is also the typical company's sticker with the reference number of the general catalogue "13375 22FF".
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Possible ARCOBALENO 1956 Code: Vi-0065
H 19 cm ( 7,5 in)	Blown glass with one end open and the other closed and solid base, main blown body decorated with stripes of different transparent colored glass applied over in aquamarine red, green and white colors. Base in very pale green. No sticker or label. We have no direct confirmation that this piece was in the original group of Arcobaleno pieces presented at the Biennale of '56 but everything about its making and the colors used strongly suggest that this piece is part of the same series.
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Possible ARCOBALENO 1956 Code: Vi-0066
H 32,5 cm (12,8 in)	Blown glass and solid base, the top is in light green opalino glass, with many inclusion, the base is in aquamarine color covered with transparent green colored canes intermitted by murrines in green and red color. No sticker or label. We have no direct confirmation that this piece was in the original group of Arcobaleno pieces presented at the Biennale of '56 but everything about its making and the colors used strongly suggest that this piece is part of the same series.
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The name is written on the original drawing for this piece, executed on the back of a "Coin" calendar page from 1960 (an image of the calendar will be published soon). As the calendar is unused and normally they were handed out at the end of the year the earlier date could be December 1959, or it could have been used in the first months of 1960. There are 2 known pieces and no other drawing has been found to dte, while we have no known reference that this pieces were ever exhibited. They are characterized by a solid base with a blown top part, in the base there is a submersion of colored glass that is pushed toward the top giving the illusion of "roots", which is the literal translation of the title Radici.

RADICI 1959-60 Code: Vi-0067
H 30,5 cm (12 in)	Solid base in clear glass with submersion of yellow colored glass pushed towards the top, the technique for this step is unknown but we must assume the use of a pointed instruments inserted in the mass of hot glass. The top part is blown using green glass covered in blue glass all coated in clear glass.
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RADICI 1959-60 Code: Vi-0068
H 43 cm (16,9 in)	Solid base in clear glass with submersion of green and yellow colored glass pushed towards the top, the technique for this step is unknown but we must assume the use of a pointed instruments inserted in the mass of hot glass. The top part is blown using ruby glass coated in clear glass. It is interesting to note that one the root went almost half the way up into the blown top part. There are some inclusion in the top part that indicates the intentional use of "dirty" glass.
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NECKLACE 1959-1963
Code: Vi-0069

This is the most unusual known piece by Anzolo Fuga, there is no reference to this style or technique except in the "chained murrines" series made from around 1959 and with several variations made in the following years and in the series presented in Verona 1963 that had opalino glass and "chains" of murrines and zanfirico canes and called "hieroglyphics" and "zig-zag motifs".
The piece resembles the "wig holders", used from the 16th century to rest the wig when not used, with the very ironic (typical Anzolo Fuga) necklace made with a zanfirico rod hot-attached to the "neck" and several murrines, made with opaque and transparent colors, also hot-attached to the main body of the piece but just under the zanfirico rod, creating a very original necklace in glass.

H 35 cm (13,8 in)	White opalino glass for the top blown part, coated in clear glass that has been collected at the bottom to form a small solid base that still has a rough circular pontil mark. The piece ends with a small open mouth at the very top.
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