Felipe Derflingher 

(Mexico fl.1960s)

Brutalist beaker, 1960s

Caged green glass with pontil mark, in stained steel cradle 

9 x 8 x 9 cm.

Derflingher was a famous Mexican glass blower in the 1960s, who became synonymous with a particular technique of ‘caging’ glass in metal. A 1964 edition of Popular Mechanics featured his process, explaining how he made cylinders of metal with cut-out shapes, into which he then blew molten glass to create bulging protrusions as seen in this beaker. The end result also became known as ‘imprisoned’ glass, on account of the blown protrusions which prevent the glass from detaching from the metal casing.