You'll Be Bowled Over. . .

. . . by this massive bamboo magnum bowl, a collaboration between the famed French glassmaker Daum and international designer Emilio Robba. There were only 388 examples of the beautiful bowl ever made and we have one in our trove!

The bowl was made by a Daum, a crystal studio founded Nancy, France in 1878 and was created by an intricate process called pâte de verre (glass paste). Although this technique dates back to ancient Rome and Egypt, the process of pâte de verre was perfected in France during the art nouveau era of the early 1900s. Daum is currently the only crystal manufacturer still using this technique, which produces a luminous crystal sculpture with sharp details and soft gradations of color. The process requires multiple steps by skilled artisans. First, a sculpture is created and used to make a flexible mold. The mold is then filled with molten wax. After the wax hardens, it is removed from the mold and any imperfections are smoothed over. The wax is then encased in plaster. One the plaster is dry, it is heated and the melted wax is drained from the mold. This leaves a plaster mold, which is then cut open. After the plaster mold is cleaned of residue, an artisan, using "frit," a compound of finely ground crystal, carefully layers the different colors into the mold. The plaster mold is placed into a kiln and heated until the frit has melted. Once the plaster mold is removed from the kiln and allowed to cool, the plaster must be carefully broken away to reveal the sculpture. The remaining plaster is washed away and the crystal piece is polished, with details sometimes sharpened by hand with a special drill. Only after all these steps are complete and the piece passes a final inspection will it be signed "Daum France." This complex pâte de verre process means that every Daum sculpture is unique.

The piece is etched on the bottom "131/388," indicting that it is the 131st  of the limited 388 edition. It signed both the "Daum France" and "Emilio Robba."

Emilio Robba was born in Italy and studied at the prestigious Beaux-Arts School of Design. An international traveler and photographer, he focused on natural forms. Prestigious designer Pierre Cardin asked Robba to create a retail store selling elaborate and artistic flower arrangements under the “Maxim’s de Paris” label. Dubbed the“Sculptor of Flowers,” Robba founded the Emilio Robba Company, which works with individual clients, as well as architectural and interior design firms, hotel groups and international cruise lines, to create permanent floral and landscape designs. His award-winning creative and sculptural floral arrangements have become synonymous with luxury. Robba's deep knowledge of nature shows in the fine details of the bamboo bowl. 

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

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