Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Coral Basket
Medium: Hand Blown Glass
Size: 8.5" x 7" x 7"
Inscription: Inscribed on bottom "Chihuly 98"
Year: 1998
Documentation: Includes gallery certificate of authenticity
Dale Chihuly's Coral Basket (1998) is a striking example of the artist's groundbreaking early Basket series, which redefined the potential of handblown glass. Though seemingly minimal in form, the Basket series revolutionized glass art through its bold embrace of asymmetry, fluidity, and organic structure.
In Coral Basket, Chihuly's mastery of color is on full display. The delicate, handblown form is enriched by a subtle yet sophisticated blend of hues—demonstrating the artist's unmatched ability to manipulate color within translucent media. Created during a period when Chihuly was exploring the expressive limits of glass, this work reflects both restraint and innovation, balancing ethereal lightness with bold conceptual clarity.
Signed and dated "Chihuly 98" on the underside, this piece remains a collector favorite for its historical significance and visual elegance. It is accompanied by a gallery certificate of authenticity.
About Dale Chihuly
Dale Chihuly (b. 1941, Tacoma, Washington) is one of the most influential and celebrated figures in contemporary art, renowned for his pioneering work in the medium of glass. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Chihuly has revolutionized the art world's perception of glass as a sculptural material, elevating it from craft to fine art through his monumental installations, vibrant color palettes, and organic, flowing forms.
Chihuly's interest in glass began during his studies at the University of Washington, where he earned a degree in interior design. He continued his education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison under Harvey Littleton, a key founder of the American Studio Glass movement, and later at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he would go on to establish and lead one of the first glass programs in the United States.
A defining moment in his career came in 1968, when Chihuly was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study glassblowing at the Venini glass factory in Murano, Italy. There, he observed the collaborative process of Italian glassmaking, which deeply influenced his approach and led to his signature practice of working with a team of artisans—a departure from the solitary nature of traditional studio glasswork.
In 1971, Chihuly co-founded the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State, which quickly became an international hub for glass artists. His experimental approach and mentorship helped shape a new generation of artists and positioned the Pacific Northwest as a center for contemporary glass.
Chihuly's work is instantly recognizable for its vibrant color, gravity-defying structures, and fluid, organic forms. His most iconic series include:
Baskets – Inspired by Native American weaving and created to collapse naturally during the glassblowing process.
Seaforms – Undulating, biomorphic shapes reminiscent of marine life.
Macchia – Multicolored vessels that explode with painterly color combinations.
Persians – Swirling, exotic forms that suggest ancient and fantastical origins.
Chandeliers – Monumental, ceiling-mounted installations composed of hundreds of individually blown glass elements.
Despite losing vision in one eye and later suffering a shoulder injury that prevented him from blowing glass himself, Chihuly continued to direct and innovate through a collaborative team model. This allowed him to expand the scale and ambition of his projects, leading to globally acclaimed exhibitions and permanent installations in museums, botanical gardens, and public spaces worldwide.
Chihuly's art has been featured in over 200 museum collections and numerous major exhibitions, including Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem (2000) and Chihuly Garden and Glass, the permanent exhibition in Seattle that opened in 2012.
Through his inventive spirit and bold aesthetic, Dale Chihuly has redefined the possibilities of glass and continues to inspire artists, collectors, and audiences around the globe.
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