MARTÍN BENITO France, second half of the twentieth... Lot 39

MARTÍN BENITO France, second half of the twentieth century. Vase. In carved glass to the wheel. Mounts in gilded bronze. Signed on the base. Measurements: 41 x 15 x 24,5 cm. Martin Benito was born into a family of expert manufacturers of perfume bottles, well known since the twenties. He began carving crystal at the age of 14, and in 1952 founded Cristal Benito, after training his father and two brothers to carve crystal instead of glass, and taking them to his workshop to practice alongside him. The family quickly achieved unprecedented mastery in this field, perfecting the use of grinding wheels (used to cut glass), as well as the technique of glass sculpting, in which glass is cut as deeply as possible, to the limit of its strength, to enhance its luster, brilliance and reflective capabilities. Martin designed the company's first unique creations. These soon achieved international recognition, particularly its famous Napoleon III-style liquor bar. Key to this recognition was the development of the 32-pointed Benito Crystal star, a technique still recognizable in many of the company's diverse creations. Today, the company remains one of France's finest crystal-cutting institutions, and is headed by Franck Benito.