An Italian gilt silver bronze pelican by Gabriella Crespi with a hand-blown glass egg body and signed to the underside. circa 1970-1974. 
 
Gabriella Crespi (1922-2017) was an Italian artist who transformed objects by changing their function so they were not only fuctional but also works of sculpture. She worked with furniture, sculpture and jewellery. 
She began designing in the 1950s with her first objects being steel moon sculptures and titled the 'Small Lune Collection.' Maison Dior commissioned Crespi in the 1960s for the gifts department, home decor and dining. During the 70s and 80s, Crespi started her 'Plurimi' series of furniture which she is most famous for. It was also during this time that she created the 'Animali collections', sculptures of animals using the lost wax process and mixing fantasy and the natural world. She achieved this by giving the animal in question an ethereal quality by placing a hand blown egg or precious gem within its bronze body.