Tiger Hunting Shark on Murano Glass Base by Roberto Camozzo for Wyland, 1990s

When I saw these pieces I was so happy to have found them because I knew the history of these wonderful pieces very well. There are great Murano masters and artists, some very well known such as Seguso, Barbini and Tagliapietra. Roberto Camozzo, on the other hand, is someone that few know. He and his partner Elio Raffaelli were Livio Seguso's silent right and left hand. They became independent after Bisazza took over the company. They continued the solid (sculptural) glass style and tradition of their experience with Livio Seguso and worked for many artists. At the turn of the new millennium, Oggetti was commissioned by Wyland Galleries and Robert Wyland to create a collection of glass sculptures. I remember that Roberto Camozzo and Elio Raffaelli created giant humpback whales with calf in the "First Breathe" project based on a design by Robert Wyland. In this particular case, the decision on how to achieve the tiger effect was made in silver with clear glass stripes. The artist's vision, attention to detail and anatomy, ability to master the color envelope have generated probably the best marine collection in glass. Sharks were produced in Murano, but they were mostly shark-faced diving or jumping dolphins. These were in a completely different field. Look at the finesse of this piece. Silver leaf on gray steel (the color that Livio Segusto last abandoned in his search for purity). The detail of the gills is incredible.