“The name Persians evokes the exoticism of the Middle East with its seas of sand, the basic material of glass. The Persians emerge as mysterious, ancient and marvelous,” notes art historian Henry Adams. The exoticism in the Persian series comes partly from Dale Chihuly’s work at the Venini glass workshop outside Venice. It was there that he became inspired by the city’s Byzantine and Near Eastern influences, which can be seen in the dramatic rhythm that pulses through the jewel-toned colors of this compelling series.
The Chartreuse Persian Pair, a 2013 Chihuly Workshop Studio Edition, couples the artist’s studied understanding of color with his organic sense of form. The large open element is a transparent citrus green edged with a vibrant red lip wrap, which accentuates the sculpture’s scallops, spines, and swells. A pomegranate-colored element blooms from inside the piece, bringing a brilliant touch of color to this strikingly unique work.
This signed, handblown Studio Edition measures eleven inches across and is shipped with a Plexiglas display case as well as the hardcover Chihuly Workshop publication Chihuly Persians. Fifty-eight beautifully photographed images capture the imaginative forms, and an essay by museum curator Tina Oldknow gives historical context to the artist’s Persian series.
The Chartreuse Persian Pair is a luscious example of this tantalizing series by Dale Chihuly.