The Fiori di Como by Chahuly

The Fiori di Como by Chahuly
Originally uploaded by aesegars

I love Dale Chahuly! He is one of my all-favorite artists. The Bellagio hotel has several pieces of his, including this centerpiece exhibit that was commissioned in 1998 just for the hotel. It consists of 2,000 pieces and weighs 40,000 lbs.


"Steve Wynn started talking to me about the ceiling at the Bellagio long before construction even began. He wanted me to make a “spectacular” piece in the lobby of the hotel that would rival the aquarium at the Mirage, and generate more interest. Back in Seattle, we built the entire seventy-by-thirty-foot ceiling, full-scale, at my studio. The commission, as contracted, called for a whole new armature type and about a thousand new “flowers.” Steve visited several times, loved it, and wanted even more glass. Finally FIORI DI COMO was installed with over two thousand handblown glass elements.
— Chihuly "