Dale Chihuly Blanket Soft Cylinder Signed 1980 Handblown Glass

Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Blanket Soft Cylinder
Medium: Hand Blown Glass
Size: 9.375" x 5.25" x 6.25"
Inscription: Signed and dated on bottom "Chihuly 80"
Year: 1980
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity

Dale Chihuly's 1980 "Blanket Soft Cylinder" is a handblown glass work from a pivotal period in the artist's career. This work emerges at a time when Chihuly was exploring the structural limits of the vessel form, allowing gravity, temperature, and material responsiveness to help shape the final object. The muted palette of soft cream and pale amber is consistent with his glasswork from this era, preceding the dramatic introduction of vivid chromatic experimentation that took place in his practice after 1990.

The piece features an embedded "blanket" motif within the glass wall, a concept derived from Chihuly's long standing study of Native American textiles. Rather than functioning as surface decoration, the patterned fragment appears suspended beneath the smooth exterior, creating a sense of interior depth. Its small dotted and geometric markings present an area of concentrated visual interest that stands in quiet contrast to the understated tonal field surrounding it. Fine linear threads of red glass traverse the exterior, creating gentle movement and visually linking the work's curved surfaces.

The form of the vessel reflects the distinct character of the Soft Cylinder series. Instead of maintaining a rigid cylindrical silhouette, the body subtly slumps and curves, suggesting fluidity and the residual motion of molten glass. This approach indicates Chihuly's early commitment to allowing material behavior to guide composition, an idea that later evolved into the monumental installations for which he is now widely known.

"Blanket Soft Cylinder"  measures 9.375 by 5.25 by 6.25 inches, and is signed and dated on the bottom "Chihuly 80". The purchase includes a Gallery Certificate of Authenticity. This work offers a view into Chihuly's foundational studio methods and his interest in cultural reference and material expression, making it a meaningful example of his early contributions to contemporary glass.

About Dale Chihuly

Dale Chihuly (born September 20, 1941, Tacoma, Washington) is an American artist renowned as a pivotal figure in contemporary glass art. He has transformed glass from a decorative craft into a respected medium for fine art sculpture and installation, creating an extensive oeuvre of handblown vessels, monumental installations, public commissions, and immersive exhibitions.

Chihuly studied interior design at the University of Washington (BA, 1965) and earned an MFA in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design (1968). Influenced by Harvey Littleton and the American Studio Glass movement, he received a Fulbright Fellowship in 1968 to study traditional glassblowing on Murano, Venice. This experience inspired his collaborative, team-based production model.

In 1971, he co-founded Pilchuck Glass School near Stanwood, Washington, a premier international center for glass education and innovation. Pilchuck became his primary studio and helped establish the Pacific Northwest as a global hub for studio glass.

Early series such as Baskets, Cylinders, Seaforms, and Macchia explored organic forms, vibrant color layering, translucency, and light interaction. After a 1976 car accident and subsequent shoulder injury left him unable to blow glass himself, Chihuly transitioned to directing skilled teams, enabling ambitious large-scale works. Signature installations include Chandeliers, Persians, and major exhibitions like Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem (1999) and the permanent Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle (2012).

His works are held in prestigious collections worldwide, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Corning Museum of Glass, and de Young Museum. Through decades of innovation, Chihuly has profoundly influenced artists, collectors, and institutions, cementing glass as a major contemporary art medium.