Flavio Poli for Seguso Bloc Glass & Leather Ashtray

A vintage Italian Bloc ashtray by Flavio Poli for Seguso, dating to the 1980s and combining substantial colored glass with a fitted leather-covered base. The rectangular form is constructed around a deeply recessed central well, with thick transparent walls creating dramatic optical effects as light passes through the glass.

The design demonstrates the extraordinary ability of substantial glass to transform an otherwise straightforward functional object. Viewed from different angles, the thickness of the material distorts and refracts the interior form, creating shifting bands of color and reflection. The leather-covered base beneath the glass introduces a warmer, more tactile material and gives the object the polished quality associated with luxury Italian desk and smoking accessories.

Flavio Poli remains one of the important figures associated with 20th-century Italian glass design, particularly through his work with Seguso. Pieces connected to his designs are prized for their exploration of color, mass and transparency, qualities that are especially evident in a compact object such as this.

At 5.71 inches long, the ashtray has enough weight and visual presence to function as a standalone decorative object while remaining practical for a desk or bedside table. A collectible piece of vintage Italian glass that bridges the worlds of Murano glassmaking, functional design and luxury decorative accessories.