Versace-Venini Lantern vase

Object of desire Mouth-blown in a special technique characteristic of Venini - although each Lantern vase may seem the same, no two pieces are identical.

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What an amazing medium glass is: fragile yet solid; transparent yet able to carry the most intense colour; and capable of being worked into all manner of forms. Little wonder then, that over the centuries, it has been so widely used to make not only utilitarian objects but also fine pieces of decorative art. And, in the process, craftsmen have perfected and then pushed the boundaries of the techniques used - while leaving one part of the process entirely: mouth-blowing. Simply because it cannot be replaced.

It is that perfecting of skill - combined with stylistic experimentation - that has made Venini such an important name in art glass. Based on the island of Murano, Venice, it has collaborated with many leading stylists and design houses over the years - including, in 1998, Versace. That collaboration, which produced a small collection of boldly modern vases and vessels (now much in demand among collectors) sadly became moribund.

Until now, that is. During the Milan Salone, the two companies announced a new partnership - the fruits of which are the reissue of several items from the heritage collection (some stunning black-and-white pieces among them) and an entirely new collection, of which the Lantern vase is an outstanding example. A joyful explosion of intensely rich colour, its deceptively simple-looking chequerboard pattern is achieved through a technique called pezzati, a complex process unique to Venini. The craftsmen juxtapose tessere (small squares) of different colours at various stages of the blowing process, so that the colours are not simply surface decoration but form the structure of the vase. It is an immensely time-consuming process that requires tremendous precision. Yet, while every Lantern vase is recognisably the same, no two pieces are identical as each is the product of a single craftsman. And, aside from their sheer beauty, that is where the true value of these pieces lies.

Euros 2,500 (Dh11,500), Versace Home, Dubai Mall, 04 330 8697, www.versacehome.com