Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Radiant Persian Pair With Black Lip Wrap
Medium: Hand-Blown Glass Sculpture
First Element: 5.75"H x 9.75"W x 8.75"D
Second Element: 6.25"H x 9.875"W x 7.5"D
Inscription: Signed "Chihuly"
Year: c. 2000
Documentation: Gallery Certificate of Authenticity
A luminous and intricate example of Dale Chihuly's celebrated Persian series, Radiant Persian Pair (2000) captures the artist's fascination with the exotic aesthetics of the ancient world. Rooted in influences from Byzantine, Islamic, and Venetian art, the work reflects Chihuly's effort to fuse historic grandeur with modern sculptural innovation.
This hand-blown glass sculpture features two conical, undulating forms that together form a single, cohesive visual expression. The dynamic interaction between the two elements creates a sense of movement and harmony—each piece curling and folding into the other, as if caught in an elegant, perpetual flow. Their interrelationship is carefully composed, not just as two individual works, but as a unified sculpture.
The color palette is radiant and richly layered. Striped with maroon and warm golden hues, the glass glows with an internal energy. Translucent yellow areas catch and refract light, creating moments of brilliance, while deeper tones ground the composition in visual warmth. The forms are edged in Chihuly's signature contrasting black lip wrap, a sharp and graphic outline that heightens the drama of the organic shapes and draws attention to their graceful contours.
The Radiant Persian Pair embodies Chihuly's mastery of form, color, and composition. It offers not only a sculptural meditation on history and elegance, but also a vivid example of how two separate forms can interact to create a work that is greater than the sum of its parts.
About Dale Chihuly
Dale Chihuly is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists working in glass today. With a career spanning more than five decades, Chihuly has transformed the perception of glass from a functional craft material into a bold and expressive medium for contemporary art. His work is celebrated for its sweeping scale, vibrant color, and organic, often gravity-defying forms that draw inspiration from nature, culture, and the energy of the human hand.
Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Chihuly discovered his passion for glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington. He continued his education at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he later founded the school's glass program. In 1968, a Fulbright Fellowship took him to the renowned Venini glassworks in Murano, Italy, where he absorbed traditional techniques that would become a foundation for his innovations.
Chihuly's early career was defined by exploration. Rather than create conventional vessels or decorative objects, he pushed the limits of molten glass—working with scale, transparency, and asymmetry in ways no one had done before. In 1971, he co-founded the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington, a now world-renowned center for glass education and experimentation.
Over time, Chihuly developed a distinctive body of work defined by its dynamic forms and immersive installations. Among his most recognized series are the Seaforms, Persians, Chandeliers, Macchia, and Fiori. These works are often presented in site-specific environments that envelop viewers in color, light, and motion.
Key elements of Chihuly's artistic legacy include:
- Revolutionizing studio glass by elevating it to large-scale sculpture and environmental art
- Introducing the team approach to glassblowing, allowing for the creation of massive works
- Incorporating nature as both inspiration and setting, with installations in botanical gardens and historic sites worldwide
- Expanding into new mediums, including painting, sculpture, and neon
- Establishing Chihuly Garden and Glass, a permanent exhibition in Seattle dedicated to his work
Chihuly's installations have been exhibited at world-class institutions and public spaces, from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to the canals of Venice, the New York Botanical Garden, and the ceiling of the Bellagio in Las Vegas. His work is held in more than 200 museum collections globally.
Despite injuries that prevented him from blowing glass himself—most notably losing vision in one eye and damaging his shoulder—Chihuly continued to direct his studio practice as a conceptual and visual leader. His influence extends beyond the art world, reshaping how we experience materials, space, and the natural world.
Through his pioneering vision, Dale Chihuly has not only transformed the possibilities of glass but created a lasting legacy of wonder, innovation, and beauty.
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