Dale Chihuly filled a steel boat – finished to appear like wood – with various, brilliantly colored blown glass forms. The idea for his Boat series arose in 1995 when the artist floated newly blown glass downstream on a river in Finland, and local teenagers retrieved them in rowboats. This experience inspired Chihuly to make a boat installation, like this one, which includes elements from his Fiori (“flowers”) series. Typically, the Fiori groupings are comprised of different shapes in vibrant colors that are inspired by natural forms.