Dale Chihuly Four Piece Red Seaform Set with Turquoise Lip Wrap Signed 1987 Hand-Blown Glass

Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Four Piece Red Seaform Set with Turquoise Lip Wrap
Medium: Hand Blown Glass
Dimensions: 6.5"h x 16.5"w x 12"d
Year: 1987
Inscription: Signed and dated to largest element 'Chihuly 87'
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity

Dale Chihuly's "Four-Piece Red Seaform Set with Turquoise Lip Wrap" (1987) reflects a pivotal period in the artist's development of the Seaform series, in which organic contour and chromatic intensity converge in increasingly sculptural configurations. Each vessel is formed with sinuous, asymmetrical edges that suggest marine and botanical life, their profiles shaped by gravity and centrifugal force during the blowing process. The saturated red glass establishes a dense, glowing field of color, while the applied turquoise lip wrap traces the irregular rims, introducing a cool counterpoint that sharpens the visual cadence of each silhouette. Light interacts dynamically with the ribbed and folded surfaces, accentuating depth, shadow, and translucency, and lending the forms a sense of internal movement.

Considered as an ensemble, the four elements operate as variations on a shared formal language rather than as identical counterparts. Subtle differences in proportion, color, curvature, and surface patterning underscore the improvisational dimension of Chihuly's studio practice, where controlled technical procedures coexist with responsiveness to heat, motion, and material behavior. The turquoise lip treatment serves as a unifying visual device across the group, while also emphasizing the vulnerability and thinness of the vessel edges—an aesthetic that departs from traditional glass symmetry in favor of expressive irregularity characteristic of Chihuly's work of the 1980s.

Dale Chihuly's 1987 "Four Piece Red Seaform Set with Turquoise Lip Wrap" measures 6.5 × 16.5 × 12 inch. The hand-blown glass sculpture is signed and dated to largest element "Chihuly 87", and includes a gallery Certificate of Authenticity.

About Dale Chihuly

Dale Chihuly stands as one of the most influential glass artists of the modern era, widely credited with transforming handblown glass into a major category within the global contemporary art market. Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Chihuly's career spans more than five decades and encompasses sculpture, installation, drawing, and printmaking.

After formal training at the University of Washington, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and the Rhode Island School of Design, Chihuly co-founded the Pilchuck Glass School in 1971. Pilchuck became a critical incubator for innovation in glass, fostering experimentation and international exchange that shaped generations of artists.

Chihuly's work is distinguished by bold color palettes, organic forms, and technical virtuosity. Series such as Macchia, Persians, and Venetians demonstrate his command of complex layering techniques, while his monumental chandeliers and architectural installations have become signature works sought by museums, collectors, and institutions worldwide.

Unlike traditional studio glass artists, Chihuly embraced a workshop model early in his career, directing teams of skilled artisans to realize his designs. This approach enabled unprecedented scale and complexity, positioning his work at the intersection of sculpture, performance, and design.

Chihuly's works are held in the permanent collections of major museums, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Art Institute of Chicago. His market remains robust, with sustained demand for both early works and later studio-produced sculptures.

As a figure who bridged craft and fine art, Dale Chihuly continues to exert lasting influence on contemporary glass and large-scale installation practices.