Elio Raffaeli
Italian (Murano), b. 1936
Modernist Twist Sculpture
Glass
Etched signature to the base. Neodymium; the extended arm coiling around the pinnacle of the abstract, leaflike form presented on a cylindrical, frosted termination.

Born in Murano in 1936, Raffaeli went to a local school and at the age of fifteen, he began working with the Seguso-Dalla Venezia glass furnace. Then met Piero Scaramal, from whom he first learnt the secrets of the magic art that makes Murano well known as the capital of glass making. During the seven years spent with Scaramal, Raffaeli developed his skills and his personality, advancing systematically in the traditional career of a glass maker, from "garzone", the furnace boy, to "primo servente", a first level assistant. The second furnace Raffaeli worked at was also very famous, the Salviati's. They experienced with different techniques, from glass blowing to "massiccio" glass, the working of a mass of glass that results in large, solid sculptures. In 1966, Raffaeli entered a new furnace, Briati's, w he became a glass master and realized the designs of Flavio Poli. Finally, together with his assistants and some friends, he decided to start a new adventure. It's the beginning of Ars Murano that in a very short time reached an enormous success with its sculptures, sold all over the world. Today Raffaeli, who has reached the higher point in his artistic career, can and must sign every single piece that he realizes. Currently, Ars Murano is still a small factory, but with Elio, his partners and all their associates, it will certainly find very soon its place among the greatest furnaces.
27 1/4 in. (69.2 cm.)