Pera Russa

Artist : Bernard Heesen

The form originates from the work of Bernard Heesen, who created a series of glass objects titled Encyclopaedic Artefacts. For this series, Heesen used the black-and-white engravings from 19th-century encyclopaedias as a starting point. These historical illustrations, originally meant to classify and explain the natural world, were translated by Heesen into delicate glass sculptures, turning flat printed knowledge into luminous, three-dimensional objects.
Within Matera, the pear is reinterpreted once again. The object is translated from glass into marble, a material that carries a completely different presence. Where glass suggests fragility, transparency and light, marble introduces weight, density and permanence. The shift in material transforms the character of the object while maintaining the recognizable silhouette derived from the encyclopaedic engraving.

The title Pera Russa (Italian for Russian Pear) echoes the botanical naming conventions often found in historical encyclopaedias and botanical catalogues. It subtly reinforces the work’s connection to the world of classification and scientific illustration from which the original image emerged.


Materials : White Onyx - Honed
Dimensions : 20 × 15 × 15 cm / 7.87 × 5.91 × 5.91 in