Chalet Mouth Blown Pieces

Although Chalet’s free form innovative “stretch” pieces were and are their iconic “claim to fame”, the Maestri did do some, albeit very rare, mouth blown pieces. Most specifically, the fruit sets, smaller fruit pieces, bookends as well as some animals and vases. These pieces give us a glimpse of both depth of tradition and range of talent.

Clear crystal 6” Chalet Blowfish carried by Riekes Crisa as part of their ‘Marine Life’ collection. Inventory # 3002-69.

As seen in the Riekes Crisa 1976 General Catalog. Please note that this was a year after Chalet’s closure.

A mouth blown lemon with the (crackled) a ghiaccio finish. Chalet also did the lemon in clear crystal. I was given this by Chalet Maestro Giulio Gatto - one of my most treasured pieces.

Chalet did mouth blown apples in both cranberry and clear crystal. Other small fruit forms were an a ghiaccio orange, a banana, pineapple and pear.

A set of mouth blown bud vases. Photograph courtesy of 50 Shades member Dan Hammill.

I am very fortunate to have several mouth blown pieces in my collection – a one- of- a -kind set of pear bookends, an apple and pear set of bookends, an apple and pear set and a single apple. And until recently - one vase.

This set of pear bookends was a special order. The customer did not like the apple with the pear, as was typical, so she changed it up and Chalet was happy to oblige and I am reaping the benefits!

I am also fortunate enough to have a set of the rare but production apple/pear bookend set. Maestro Gatto alos gave me the banana which is foreground and the vase at the right is my first mouth blown vase. This shelf displays a Chalet treasure trove of rare and unique.

A good close up of an avventurina mouth blown apple.

This apple and pear set retains one of the rarest of Chalet markings - the “Boutique Collection” hang tag.

However, my single vase status changed when Don Smith, curator of the Cornwall Community Museum, let me know that Ian Macnabb in Cornwall had an amazing one-of-a-kind mouth blown 3 tone vase. I had met Mr. Macnabb back in 2010 when putting together the Chalet exhibit and he and his staff were a source of  information and Cornwall stories. So, I was absolutely delighted, not only about the vase, but to be able to renew our acquaintanceship.

 And bonus! We were able to arrange Toronto pick up as Ian’s daughter was travelling my way. And bonus, bonus bonus… His daughter, Jennifer, is married to Jean Paul Voltolina – son of Chalet Maestro Giovanni Voltolina who I had met years ago at the Chalet show and in Merrickville where he was blowing glass. Please see “The Faces of Chalet” for detailed biography and pictures of Maestro Voltolina and some examples of his work.

At left, Giovanni Voltolina being introduced to the attendees at the opening reception of the 2010 Chalet exhibit in Cornwall. The other Chalet artists to Maestro Voltalina’s right are Antonio Tedesco, Gianfranco Guarnieri, Roberto De Marchi and Maestro Bruno Panizzon.

So, let’s see the vase!

The vase had been in possession of the Voltolina family since it was blown in the 1970s. Giovanni did not blow it himself but was part of the team that made it. Jean Paul could not remember which Maestro led the team but it was most likely either Maestro Sergio Pagnin or Maestro Luigi Tedesco (2 of the Chalet owners) as it was not a production piece.

Note that the blue in the vase is the same beautiful shades of blue that we see used in the coloured bases that Chalet did. To date, this is the only colour we have seen used in these pieces with coloured bases - a mere handful of which have been found.