Bonfire Baskets, 2003

Value: $6,000

Donated by: Chihuly Studio

Writing of aged Indian baskets, Henry Geldzahler, then a curator at the Metropolitan

Museum of Art, explained, “When Chihuly saw these misshapen fiber baskets, he saw

the essence of glass.” Since their first appearance in a 1977 exhibition at the Seattle Art

Museum, Dale Chihuly’s Baskets have evolved into an organic series that embraces the

natural qualities of molten glass. “This meant letting glass find its own form,” says

Chihuly.

Bonfire Baskets, a 2003 Chihuly Workshop Studio Edition, explores the inherent

delicacy of glass. A fine black glass thread trails over the surfaces of two transparent

red elements, one piece nesting within the other. The transparency allows simultaneous

visual access to the three-dimensional forms and their linear surface features. This

elegant handblown work is signed and measures approximately ten inches across.

Included with this pair is a Plexiglas display case and the hardcover monograph Chihuly

Baskets. This 148-page publication features two essays and seventeen beautiful

sepia tones images of Native American basketry that inspired Chihuly.

With graceful harmony and languid curves, Bonfire Baskets exemplifies refinement.