Sommerso is a glassmaking technique that began in Murano, Italy. Maestri Vetrai Muranesi Capellin and Co. and Vetreria Artistica Barovier are credited with creating the sommerso technique in the late 1920s to early 1930s. Flavio Poli is another creator credited with inventing and making popular sommerso glass. Linguistically, the word describes the technique: “sommerso” literally means “submerged,” and describes the way that colored glass is submerged in between layers of clear glass.
The sommerso technique is unique. It features a solid color of molten glass fused with a second layer of clear glass that serves to preserve the color of the first layer without allowing it to fade into the second layer. Colored layers of glass are sealed within layers of clear glass. Clear layers are blended together to create form and shape without degrading any of the colors contained in the design. Generally, the technique is achieved by dipping a solid glass object into a layer of molten glass.
Sommerso vases and beads come in two basic variations. You can spot a sommerso glass creation by the thin or thick layer of clear glass surrounding it. Inside of the clear glass frame is one or more colors of glass blended together. Or, separate colors of glass may be preserved between layers of clear glass. The clear glass punctuating the colored glass may be plain and smooth or textured.
If you are in the market to purchase sommerso glass, you should be encouraged that while stunning, sommerso glass objects can also tend to be affordable. Look for a vase, frame, sculpture or even beads in a color scheme that pleases you. Visit a local artist cooperative or glass blowing shop nearby you to learn more about the sommerso technique and to see it performed live. Seek out opportunities through glass-blowing classes to try your hand at this creative technique yourself.