traditional sculpture

Luxuriously gowned in an antique silver hue, a dancer personifies Yemanjá, the goddess of all the earth's waters and mother of all Candomblé orixás.

The Candomblé religion is widely observed in northeastern Brazil. The name derives from kandombele, a Congolese-Angolan word meaning "to pray." Practiced in South America since slaves were brought over from Africa by the Portuguese, it combines Yoruban practices with Roman Catholic imagery. The orixás, or gods, are the forces of the earth; song and dance are a form of worship, and the dance impersonates the god, inspiring myths and legends.

As an homage to the doctrine's cultural richness, Hugo Negrini crafts an image that is both stunning and ethnographically correct. He first carves the image in wood, taking as long as 50 or 60 days, depending on the degree of detail in the piece. When the statuette is ready, he makes a silicone rubber mold and casts the sculpture in resin.

Air bubbles dance in a hypnotic procession around this translucent paperweight. Imbued with milky white light, the effect is captivating. The Seguso Family crafts the piece by hand with the legendary blown glass techniques of Murano, Italy.

The presence of air bubbles accentuates the nature of the traditional hand blown crafting process, making each piece unique.