New York – The Important Italian Glass: The Paul Gresswell-Wilkins Collection sale at Bonhams New York last week (7 October) achieved phenomenal results, including a new world record for a work by Dino Martens. The unique Anfora Ape Vase, 1952 sold for $256,563 against an estimate of $30,000-50,000.

The 153-lot single-owner sale featured a visual trove of historically important glass pieces from throughout the late 19th and 20th century.

In total the sale made made $978,598, selling 75% by lot and 88% by value.

Bonhams International Director of Modern Decorative Art & Design, Dan Tolson, commented, "Dino Martens was an exceptional powerhouse of creativity with a unique eye for form, colour and technique that set his work apart from other 20th century Italian glass masters. This incredibly rare vase, the first example of his now renowned 'Oriente' series, is a wonderful example of Martens' supreme ability and I'm not surprised that it achieved the phenomenal result that it did."

A Rare Variegati Vase, circa 1942 by Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978) also achieved an outstanding result, selling for $112,813 against an estimate of $50,000-70,000. Highly regarded for his skilled work as an architect and designer, Scarpa was known for pulling his influences from materiality. The vase is a wonderful example of the explorative nature with which he approached material, with an iridized surface, applied with horizontal bands of variegated amber glass.

11 October 2021