Glass appears almost suspended within a framework of steel in Carlo Nason’s S509 vase. Designed for A.V. Mazzega around 1969, the piece brings two contrasting materials together in a composition that sits between functional vessel and sculpture.

Design

Carlo Nason was born into one of Murano’s established glassmaking families and developed a body of work in which traditional glass techniques were applied to distinctly modern forms. For the S509, Nason departed from the conventional freestanding vase by placing a transparent blown-glass vessel within an architectural stainless-steel support. The design appears in the manufacturer’s catalogue A.V. Mazzega 9, pages 250–251.

A rectangular steel base rises vertically through the centre, its upper section cut into a broad U-shape that receives the glass. In contrast to these straight planes, the transparent vessel has a rounded, quadrilobed profile, an identification also found in an earlier auction record for the model. Its lower section drops below the curved opening in the support, creating the impression that the glass is held within the metal rather than simply resting upon it.

Seen from above, subtle indentations divide the rim into four lobes and give the vessel an asymmetrical rhythm as the viewpoint changes. Light passing through the clear glass casts curved reflections across the brushed steel, emphasising Nason’s juxtaposition of transparency and solidity. The removable vessel further exposes the simple construction of the stand and the close relationship between its curved opening and the form of the glass.

More sculptural than a conventional vase, the S509 captures the experimental character of late-1960s Italian glass design. Displayed empty as an object or used as a centrepiece, its restrained combination of Murano glass and steel gives it a clear architectural presence.

Condition

The vase is in perfect vintage condition, with light traces of use visible on the steel base and support.