Rare David Patchen Vessels from Elton John’s Collection

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Born in 1966, David Patchen began his professional life as a musician before pursuing a career in corporate marketing. In 2001, after taking his first glassblowing class, he became captivated by the medium and soon transitioned into working as a full-time glass artist.

^{David Patchen (American, b.1966), Two 'Foglio' glass vases, formerly in the collection of Sir Elton John (£3,000-5,000 each)}

Largely self-taught, Patchen is celebrated for his bold use of the murrine technique – a painstaking process that involves arranging hundreds of patterned glass ‘tiles’ into a mosaic, fusing them together, and blowing the piece into its final form. His works are admired internationally for their vivid colours, intricate patterns, and technical brilliance, and they feature in private and public collections worldwide.

Due to a long waiting list for commissions, Patchen’s creations seldom appear at auction. These two Foglio examples, dating to around 2015, stand at 64cm and 62cm tall respectively. One is composed of amethyst quatrelobed canes layered within a fine amber ground, while the other features striking blue-green canes over a delicate cane base.

^{David Patchen (American, b.1966), a 'Foglio' glass vase, c.2015, with spaced amethyst quatrelobed canes within a finer amber cased cane ground (£3,000-5,000)}

Both are signed and were acquired directly from the artist by Sir Elton John, a passionate collector of contemporary design and glass. The vases remained in his collection for nearly a decade before being sold as part of The Collection of Sir Elton John at Christie’s in February 2024.

^{David Patchen (American, b.1966), a 'Foglio' glass vase, c.2015, with spaced blue/green canes within a finer cane ground (£3,000-5,000)}

The October sale marks the first edition of our specialist biannual Glass auction, dedicated entirely to the art of glassmaking from antiquity through to the present day. The event promises to bring together works from across centuries of innovation in this timeless medium.

For more information, contact Head of Department Alex Froggatt

alexfroggatt@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778

Tuesday 28 October | 10am

alexfroggatt@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778

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