The sommerso technique was originally developed in the 1930s by Carlo Scarpa at Venini & Co. Sommerso (Italian for "submerged") is the Murano glassmaking technique that creates two or more contrasting layers of glass without mixing the colors. It is formed by submerging colored glass in molten glass of a different color, before blowing the glass into the required shape. The outer layer is usually clear. During the 1950s, the sommerso style became world-famous thanks to the work of Flavio Poli, artistic director of Seguso Vetri d'Arte.