Italian Hand-Blown Glass Table Lamp Attributed to Flavio Poli, 1930s *Originally $1,200*

An Italian hand-blown glass table lamp attributed to Flavio Poli from the 1930s, combining the familiar silhouette of a traditional oil lamp with the rich color and fluid forms of Venetian glassmaking.

The base is formed from translucent emerald green glass, with a broad, gently domed foot that rises into a rounded body. A curved handle extends from one side, recalling the portable oil lamps once carried from room to room. Subtle variations in the glass, including delicate bubbles and shifts in color, bring depth to the surface, while hints of iridescence catch the light along the handle and base.

Above, a patinated brass fitting supports a tall, clear glass chimney, preserving the proportions of an antique hurricane lamp. When illuminated, the exposed bulb creates a warm, candle-like glow, reinforcing its connection to an earlier form of domestic lighting.

The attribution to Flavio Poli places the lamp within the tradition of Italian glass design, where familiar objects were reinterpreted through experiments with color, transparency, and form. Here, the traditional oil lamp becomes a decorative electric light, retaining its nostalgic character while introducing a distinctly modern use of glass.

Well suited to a bedside table, console, or intimate reading corner, the lamp brings together the charm of an antique lighting form and the expressive qualities of hand-blown glass.

About Flavio Poli
Flavio Poli (1900-1984) was an influential Italian artist renowned for his glass designs. Born in 1900, Poli received his education at the Istituto d'Arte di Venezia and initially worked as a ceramicist. In 1929, he joined the company Industrie Vetraie Artistiche Murano (I.V.A.M.) as a glassware designer. By 1934, Poli became the artistic director of Barovier, Seguso & Ferro (later Seguso Vetri d’Arte), where he developed the innovative 'submerged' glass technique, featuring multiple transparent layers. Within three years, he became a partner in the company. 

In 1954, Poli was awarded one of the first Compasso d'Oro awards for his Seguso “Mod. 9822” blue-ruby glass vase. He departed from Seguso in 1963 and subsequently led the artistic glass division of the Società Veneziana di Conterie e Cristallerie from 1964 to 1966. His works are displayed in prestigious institutions, including the Murano Glass Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia, and both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.