Unsatisfied with the limited techniques practiced and taught in American studio glass in the 1960s, studio glass pioneer Richard Marquis went to the Venini glassworks on Murano in 1969. There, he observed and worked with some of the most talented glass masters in the world. He later shared his knowledge of historic Italian techniques, such as murrine (mosaic) and filigrana (filigree), by demonstrating and teaching at workshops throughout the United States and Australia. Marquis’s work is admired for its originality and offbeat humor. He often uses objects from his wide-ranging personal collections as elements in his glass sculptures. In this untitled piece, Marquis presents a vessel made of black granulare, an obscure Venetian technique that he revived, with black plastic salt and pepper shakers in the form of the Venus de Milo.