Murano Crystal Oak Leaf Vide-Poche, Italy, circa 1970

This Murano crystal vide-poche reproduces the form of an oak leaf with striking fidelity, from the rounded lobes of its naturally irregular outline to the primary and secondary veining that scores its surface with botanical precision. The colour — a warm gold tinged with amber and enlivened by faint metallic reflections — evokes the leaf at its autumnal turning, as it moves from copper to gold before falling.

The technical mastery required to produce such a piece is considerable: each detail of the surface, each rib, each irregularity of the edge has been achieved by hand by the master glassmakers of Murano, whose centuries-long tradition of glass blowing and moulding remains unmatched in Europe. The slight concavity of the leaf is not merely aesthetic — it renders the piece perfectly functional as a receptacle for keys, jewellery, or small personal effects.

The 1960s and 1970s represent the golden age of Murano crystal in France and across Europe: the workshops of the Venetian island were producing decorative pieces of exceptional formal invention, prized by interior decorators and the great maisons alike. This vide-poche, in the quality of its execution and the richness of its tone, belongs to the finest of that production.

In fine condition, without chips or cracks. A table object that brings a touch of warm gold and glassmakers' artistry to any interior — as much at home on a desk or console as displayed in a collection alongside other Murano pieces.