Chihuly Signed 1997 Four Pc Handblown Glass Blue Persian Set w/ Red Lip Wrap

Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Four Four-Piece Hand-Blown Glass Blue Persian Set With Cadmium Red Lip Wrap
Medium: Hand Blown Glass
Largest element measures: 10"h x 18.5"w x 11.5"d
2nd Element: 7" x 12" x 9.25"
3rd Element: 4.5" x 8" x 6.75"
Small Element: 3.25" x 3.25" x 3.25"
Year: 1997
Inscription: Signed and dated to smallest element 'Chihuly 97'
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity

Dale Chihuly's "Four-Piece Hand Blown Glass Blue Persian Set with Cadmium Red Lip Wrap", executed in 1997, exemplifies the artist's ongoing investigation into biomorphic form and dynamic color relationships within the Persian series, one of the defining bodies of work in his four decade career. The set comprises four nested, hand blown glass elements of graduated scale, ranging from a large, undulating fluted vessel to a small spherical form, arranged to suggest an organic composition reminiscent of marine or botanical structures such as shells or blossoms.

Each piece is rendered in deep cobalt blue, layered with fine amber and olive striations that trace the interior surface in rhythmic, radiating patterns characteristic of Chihuly's optic mold technique. The rippling, ruffled edges of each form, a hallmark of the Persian series, are outlined in a vivid cadmium red lip wrap, providing sharp chromatic contrast against the saturated blue body and unifying the four elements as a single sculptural ensemble. The interplay of transparency and opacity across the nested forms reflects Chihuly's sustained interest in light, layering, and the physical properties of molten glass as it is manipulated in the studio.

The smallest element is signed and dated "Chihuly 97", consistent with the artist's practice of authenticating individual components within a multi-piece set. The work is accompanied by a gallery Certificate of Authenticity.

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About Dale Chihuly

Dale Chihuly (born 1941) is an American glass artist widely credited with elevating studio glass from craft tradition to a major form of contemporary sculpture. Born in Tacoma, Washington, Chihuly first encountered glassblowing while studying interior design at the University of Washington. He went on to earn an MFA in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design, where he later founded the school's glass program. In 1968, a Fulbright Fellowship allowed him to study at the Venini glass factory on the island of Murano, near Venice, immersing him in Italian glassblowing techniques that would shape his career.

In 1971, Chihuly co-founded Pilchuck Glass School near Seattle, which became an internationally influential center for glass art education. A car accident in 1976 cost Chihuly sight in one eye, and a subsequent shoulder injury limited his ability to personally blow glass, prompting him to shift from hands-on production to a collaborative studio model, directing skilled teams of glassblowers to realize his designs.

Chihuly is best known for large-scale, organic glass installations characterized by vivid color, fluid form, and dramatic scale, including his celebrated "Chandeliers," "Persian," and "Macchia" series. His site-specific installations have been mounted at botanical gardens, museums, and public spaces worldwide, including Jerusalem, Venice, London's Kew Gardens, and the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibition in Seattle. Through decades of innovation in blown glass, Chihuly has significantly expanded public awareness and appreciation of glass as a fine art medium.