NEW YORK – On Wednesday, February 14, starting at 3 pm Eastern time, Jasper52 will conduct a sale titled A Venetian Dream: Italian and Murano Glass. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Artisans on the Italian island of Murano, near Venice, have been creating exquisite glass for centuries. The Jasper52 sale features 94 lots of works primarily by modern and contemporary masters. First among the highlights is a signed millefiori centerpiece by Amedeo Rossetto (b. 1951-), which he made in 2015. The millefiori technique is a signature of Murano. Its name translates from the Italian as ‘thousand flowers’, and it requires the artisan to arrange several glass canes into a design, which is then cut into slices to best show it off. The slices are, in turn, fused into a larger work, such as a paperweight or a vase. This Rossetto centerpiece is estimated at $4,500-$5,500 at Jasper52. From Alfredo Barbini (1912-2007) comes a vibrant yellow glass vase dating to 1970 and signed by the artist. Born on Murano to parents who both belonged to glass-making families, Barbini was a leader in the island’s industry in the 20th century. The vintage piece is estimated at $4,000-$5,000. Simone Cenedese (b. 1973-) learned to make art glass at the factory owned by his father Giovanni. He has gone on to push the boundaries of glass in his own way, as seen in Millecolori, a unique glass sculpture made in 2000 and signed by the artist. It carries an estimate of $17,000-$20,000.