Italian Craftsmanship Hand-Cut and Hand-Polished Beveled Crystal Vase, 1970s

This exceptional Italian lead crystal vase features a linear, simple, and well-proportioned shape. It is crafted from the highest quality lead crystal with a high thickness, allowing for deeper grinding than usual, which results in brighter and more brilliant light reflections. The geometry of the grinding is specially studied and executed to achieve this effect. This particular vase was created between 1970 and 1974 in an artisan workshop in Colle di Val D'Elsa, Siena, Italy. The master craftsmen of this Tuscan town enhanced the high refractive index of the vase by following traditional and complex glassmaking techniques. After coming out of the kiln in its final shape and being slowly cooled, the vase underwent several meticulous steps:
1. Cutting and Grinding: Using an emery wheel continuously fed by a jet of abrasive sand and water.
2. Re-Polishing: Using a very fine-grained sandstone wheel also fed with water.
3. Polishing: Using a cork bark wheel wet with a mush of water and pumice to make the surfaces more transparent.
4. Final Polishing: Achieved with a felt wheel wet with a mush of water, iron oxide, and cerium oxide.
Crystal craftsmanship originated in the beautiful medieval Tuscan village of Colle Val D'Elsa around 1300, thanks to the abundance of three natural elements: sand, water, and wood. These were fundamental in giving birth to the first glassmaking industry. with the advent of machinery, the glass industry expanded significantly in the 19th century. In 1963, after significant investments and experimentation in Colle Val d'Elsa, where both artisanal and industrial production coexisted successfully, it became possible to produce glass containing more than 24 percent lead oxide. This glass competed in brilliance and achromaticity with that from England, France, and Belgium, where the tradition of leaded glass was centuries old. Colle di Val d'Elsa produces 95 percent of Italy's crystal and 15 percent of the world's, earning it the nickname "Bohemia of Italy."The artisans of Colle Val D'Elsa, absolute masters of their craft, have used these precise and complex processes to imbue our vase with exceptional brightness, transparency, and brilliance, making it a unique and precious work of art. The vase is in good condition and measures 9 cm in width, 9 cm in depth, and 30 cm in height.