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Photography by Edward C. Robison III.

Nambu Group 1978-93 #21

Marvin Lipofsky is known as the “roving ambassador of glass.” These works are inspired by four continents’ worth of “hot shops” in which he experimented. This selection alone includes pieces inspired by Italy, Australia, Czechoslovakia, Japan, and California. For example, the wavy stripes of his Fratelli-Toso series were inspired by colorful Venetian glass from Murano, Italy. For the final touches, Lipofsky shipped his overseas creations back to his home studio in California. There, he etched, polished, and sandblasted these glassworks into their final forms.

Written by Aili Waller, Curatorial Intern, MA Art History in Arts of the Americas, University of Arkansas ’26

ArtistMarvin Lipofsky, 1938–2016
Date1978-1993
MediumMold-blown glass, cut, sandblasted, and acid etched
Dimensions9 1/2 x 11 x 11 1/8 in. (24.1 x 27.9 x 28.3 cm)
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, Gift of the Marvin Lipofsky Studio, 2024.72
ClassificationSculpture
ProvenanceArtist; to Marvin Lipofsky Studio, Inc., Berkeley, CA, 2016; given to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2024
On ViewNo
Nambu Group 1978-93 …9.5 × 11 in.Tennis Ball2.7 in. diameter

This artwork's face covers about 14× the area of a tennis ball.Drawn to the same scale.