Angel Tear 2010

Lino Tagliapietra made this glass sculpture, called Angel Tear, sometime in his lifetime. It is a complex design made with a technique that emerged from the institutional workshops of Murano, near Venice. For centuries, glass production in Murano was strictly controlled by the state, and artisans enjoyed special privileges to protect their valuable technical knowledge. Even now, the name "Murano glass" has a special cachet that boosts its market value. Tagliapietra’s work is rooted in this artisan culture, but the sculpture’s spiral design also looks to a more globalized, Pop-influenced design sensibility. Does this object participate in the conservative maintenance of the Murano brand, or does it strike out in a more progressive direction? Either way, understanding its place in a rapidly changing market for luxury goods is critical to understanding its significance. To do that, we can turn to sources in economic history and in the history of design.