Tagliapietra has had a lasting impact on American studio glassblowing. A beloved teacher and a respected artist, he has influenced the careers of an entire generation of American artists working in glass. In recent years, he has divided his studio time between Seattle and Murano. His Stromboli series is inspired by the infamous volcano of Stromboli, one of the Aeolian Islands of Italy. Stromboli has been in nearly continuous eruption for 2,000 years and it is one of the most active volcanoes on the earth. In this vessel, molten lava is suggested by the band of brilliant red murrine that spreads across the blackness of the mass of the vessel, which represents the volcano. The mouth of the vessel is wide and uneven, like the round cone of a volcano that has been disfigured by eruptions.