Ermanno Nazon (Italian, b. 1928 -) for I.V.R. Mazzega (Murano, Italy) after a design by Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973), "Portatrice D'Acqua (Water Carrier)", rare and unique applied art glass figural table vase, circa 1954-1955, marked on bottom with "Ermano Nason-I.V.R. di Mazzega-Murano", "Picasso 3-55", "MAZZEGA I.V.R.", and another indistinguishable stencil mark. Whimsical and mid century modern art glass figural sculptural table vase rendered in black and white with applied rounded arms, simplified facial features, abstracted zigzag on lower section of body above T form alluding to pants above protruding black shoes. Figure holding a water vessel. Ground pontil at bottom center. Approximate height 16", diameter of top 2.75", diameter of bottom. 4.25". Note: A group of Italian glass artists (mostly Venetian) formed an association in Murano called the Centro Studio Pittori in the early 1950s. The organization of talented artists worked to render exquisite works of art glass with the assistance of leading art furnaces and the iconic American art patron, Peggy Guggenheim. The Centro Sudio Pittori reached out to noted painters at the time to collaborate with their art to create modern masterworks in glass. In 1954, the association altered their name to Fucina Degli Angeli (Furnace of Angels) and were working with artists such as Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Jean Arp, Marc Chagall, and Henry Moore. The artists provided drawings and other projects that the skilled association would render for them in glass by master glass blowers such as Ermanno Nason, Aldo Bon, Albino Carrara, Archimede Seguso and others. The designs after Picasso's drawings were originally conceived in 1947 and originally intended to be rendered in ceramic, later on in the early to mid 1950s, his design was realized in glass. A similar example of one of Nason's figural art glass vases after Picasso's design sold at Christie's, New York: An Important Private Collection of Italian Glass as Lot 11 on November 30, 2000 for $18,800. _x000D_
Provenance: From the Private Collection of Joyce Lowenstein.

Overall very good condition. No chips, cracks or repairs.