Vistosi Alessandro Pianon-designed Glass Bird, ca. 1963
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GUEST:
This was a gift from a former mother-in-law. She thought I would like it. And she brought it to me from Italy. And it's by a sculptor named Vistosi. I don't know much more about him.
APPRAISER:
So what year was that?
GUEST:
Was in the mid-'60s sometime.
APPRAISER:
His name is Pulcino.
GUEST:
Ah.
APPRAISER:
And pulcino means young chicken or chick.
GUEST:
Ah.
APPRAISER:
And if you look at him, he really does look like a, a cute little 1960s chicken. Vistosi was the company that made this, but it was actually designed by a young designer named Alessandro Pianon. And he came to the company in 1956, and he didn't design this until about 1963. When he was hired in 1956, he had already attended school to become an architect and designer, and he was hired to join the firm to design their company's logo, and to produce designs that would be made in glass. This piece is not signed, and that actually is to be expected. They, they shouldn't be signed. Um, I'm sure there are ones out there, but as a rule, they're not. This was probably the most successful line of designs, the designs of birds. And there were other ones, but I think this one is particularly charming because he almost has his own little feathers.
(both laugh)
APPRAISER:
If you look at the surface of the glass. So the material is murrine, which is gl... refers to the glass. The way that, um, you got this textured surface is, when the glass is molten, you actually have little bits of glass on what they call a marver, which is an iron, uh, marble table. And you roll the glass across those little bits, and then they adhere to the surface of the glass. And these spindly legs, they're metal. Some people have said that they're copper legs or they're iron legs or brass legs. I'm going to go with copper today.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
The main thing is, they're holding him up. And they've got to hold a pretty large chicken there. (laughs): If you look at it.
GUEST:
The proportions are interesting, aren't they?
APPRAISER:
They are-- very 1960s, very whimsical. In a retail venue, this would sell in the neighborhood of $7,500.
GUEST:
Oh, my goodness, that's a real shocker.
APPRAISER:
Aren't you glad you held onto it?
GUEST:
I am, I, I didn't... I threw away the husband, but I kept the, the statue.
APPRAISER:
I think you won. (chuckles)
GUEST (chuckles): I did.
APPRAISER:
Every time I look at this piece, I just, I just want to smile.
GUEST:
Me, too.
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