Stay connected. Join our list
Luster Persian Set with Obsidian Lip Wraps, 2015, 10 x 31 x 32" Inquire
Poetic, experimental forms
First exhibited in 1986 as part of his exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Palais du Louvre in Paris, Chihuly’s Persians are an exploration of form, light, and color—a celebration of wild asymmetry and swirling patterns.
SEE THE PROCESS
Play video
Elemental Chihuly
Persians have become an essential component of Chihuly’s increasingly dramatic installations. They are mounted onto walls, windows and ceilings—even placed along the bottom of Chihuly’s swimming pool. As seen in this sketch, they are the stars of his permanent installation at Tacoma’s Union Station.
Union Station Drawing, 1993, 22 x 30"
Monarch Window, 1994, 22 x 40 x 3', Union Station, Tacoma, Washington
Molten glass shaped by optic mold, The Boathouse hotshop, Seattle, 1995
Spellbinding patterns
The use of ribbed optic molds is essential to the aesthetic of Persians. Molten glass, ringed by linear wraps, is plunged into these molds to create repetitive patterns. When blown out, the bubbles are transformed into swirling, irregularly shaped rondels with fascinating detail.
“The Persians started out as a search for forms. We worked for a year on doing only experimental Persians....we made at least a thousand or more.”
–Chihuly
View our Persians Lookbook
Inquire about Artwork
Inquire more info
Back to Work: Glass
Explore more info