an "Oriente" glass vase, model no. 5506, Aureliano Toso, Murano, Italy, 1950s-60s.
Irregular shape in multicoloured glass, label marked Made in Italy 5506. Height 38 cm.
Private Collection, Sweden.
Thence by descent to the current owner.
Marc Heiremans, "Dino Martens", Arnoldsche Art Publishers 1999, compare A111, model 5506, p. 168, the model depicted from the Photographic factory archives on Murano.
Model 5506 was designed in 1954.
The Oriente technique has its roots in early experiments (around 1947) of obtaining painter-like decorations by including fragments of broken vessels into the glass-wall. As soon as the technical difficulties were overcome, Martens planned everything up to the last glass-square to be included in his design. The actual Oriente was introduced in 1952, at the XXVIa Biennal of Venice, and it soon turned out to be a big commercial success. Regularly new compositions was designed by Martens who helped in person each time a new shape was introduced, the last one as late as 1961.