Dale Chihuly 1973 Signed Glass Cylinder Pilchuck Museum Contemporary Glass Art

Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Clear glass cylinder with green and yellow design
Size: 8" x 5"
Inscription: Signed "Chihuly" and dated "Aug 5, 1973" on the bottom with the inscription "To Mary at Pilchuck"
Year: 1973
Condition: Very good quality with no areas of concern
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity

Dale Chihuly's 1973 clear glass cylinder is an excellent example of his early era works. The green and yellow detailing near the top foreshadow the brighter colors we will come to expect to see from Chihuly in his later career. Among Chihuly collectors, his early era work is typically the most sought after due to its rarity. Chihuly worked with much smaller teams during this period, significantly limiting the number of editions created.

This piece is signed by Dale Chihuly and dedicated to "To Mary at Pilchuck Aug 5 1973" on the bottom. Who could Mary be? Most likely it refers to Mary "Toots Zynsky" who was at Pilchuck during this era.

It is rare to find any pieces from this era available on the public market, especially one of this quality. It is a museum-quality piece in excellent condition with no flaws. The piece includes a gallery certificate of authenticity.

About Dale Chihuly

One of the most famous contemporary glass artists in the world, Dale Chihuly is best known for his monumental sculptures and installations. He is the name behind the spectacular ceiling at the Bellagio’s flower garden in Las Vegas and the creator of the Rotunda Chandelier at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Glass works of Dale Chihuly are considered some of the most desired collectibles between the decorative arts devotees today.

Despite his initial indifference towards education, Chihuly has spent a lot of time in school, obtaining both scientific and artistic degree in sculpture from prestigious graduate schools. He displayed a proclivity for interior design and craft early on, but his true passion was always in the glass. He was a Fulbright Fellow in the late 1960s and an apprentice at the Venini Glass Factory in Venice. Mastering the art of Murano glasswork, he continued the experiments with glassblowing and thus became one of the people who brought the ancient art of glassblowing back into the spotlight on an international scale.

Monumental and small-scale artwork of Dale Chihuly is present in over 200 most renowned decorative art collections today, while the artist holds twelve honorary doctorates!

The most illustrious series in his work are Cylinders and Baskets he created in the 1970s; Macchia, Venetians, and Persians from the 1980s, Niijima Floats and Chandeliers created in the 1990s; and a more recent one, Fiori from the 2000s.

For over 30 years, Dale Chihuly has been acting as an artistic director of his team of craftsmen, since he was incapacitated in two accidents, which left him blind in one eye and incapable of holding the blowing tube. This change allowed him to see the possibilities of glass work on a broader scale, while still maintaining his recognizable style.