Timo Sarpaneva, a 'Conceptio I' sculpture, signed Timo Sarpaneva 1998 Studio Pino Signoretto, Murano.

Multicoloured and clear glass. Total height c. 48 cm.
In the early 1990s, Sarpaneva worked at the Venin glass factory on the island of Murano, where all the glass factories in Venice are located. For some time Sarpaneva had been looking for a maestro with whom he could collaborate as a free artist without the constraints of an industrial designer. While having dinner with Paolo Venini's daughter Laura Santillana, Timo saw a very sophisticated glasswork on the dresser and asked who had made it. "It was made by a maestro from Murano, he has golden hands". Sarpaneva decided to contact the master in question, Pino Signoretto. The collaboration began in 1996. Timo adapted from the creations of his youth, using the traditional steam-blowing method. The first piece of the Conceptio collection is a synthesis of Black Lanset (1956) and Bird's Head (1953). The deep colour of the sculpture and the use of the steam-blowing technique reflect Sarpaneva's approach to developing a new collection based on his early work.

Marjatta Sarpaneva

Minor marks underneath. The general impression is good.