Stunning Ribbon Vase with Crackle Glass Accents by Blenko
View Similar Items
Stunning Ribbon Vase with Crackle Glass Accents by Blenko
About the Item
- Creator:Blenko Glass (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 5.5 in (13.97 cm)Diameter: 5.5 in (13.97 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU91106512913
Blenko Glass
A producer of hand-blown glass since 1893, Blenko Glass is currently headquartered in Milton, West Virginia, where it has operated since 1921. Among its many illustrious projects are the stained-glass windows it produced for St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Washington National Cathedral. Blenko is known today for the brilliant colors of its glass vessels and objects—particularly those produced in the 1950s and ’60s—which range from jewel-like blues and greens to brilliant reds and yellows.
The company was founded by William J. Blenko, an English immigrant who was apprenticed to a glassmaker in his native London as a young man. Blenko developed expertise in the production of rondels, the round panes used in stained glass windows. His interest in the potential of natural gas to fire glass furnaces led him to Milton, where abundant reserves of the fuel had attracted a pool of skilled glassblowers. Under the name Eureka Glass, his company began making window glass in 1923, and in 1925, he was joined in the business by his son, William H. Blenko.
When the Great Depression quelled demand for stained glass, William J. Blenko brought local Milton glassblowers into the company to begin producing stem- and tableware, products for which the company, which changed its name to Blenko in 1930, is now best known. Up until the end of World War II, Blenko’s tableware designs were fairly straightforward, and they sold well at American department such as Gump’s, in San Francisco. The company was also commissioned in 1930 to produce a line of reproductions for Colonial Williamsburg.
In 1947, the company hired as its art director Winslow Anderson, who introduced artful, fanciful and modern vessels and objects in vibrant colors. This began what collectors refer to as Blenko’s “historic period.” A number of Anderson’s designs were honored by the Museum of Modern Art’s Good Design Awards in 1950, and throughout the 1950’s and ‘60s, the company enjoyed robust sales and critical acclaim. The forms Blenko produced during this period followed the contemporary vogue for biomorphism, or organic modernism, which favored rounded and fluid shapes inspired by nature.
One of Blenko’s most influential designers, Wayne Husted, who was active from 1953 to ’63, is credited with aligning Blenko’s products with the prevailing mid-century modern aesthetic by pushing the envelope on both form and color, particularly in his wedge-cut and Spool decanters and his Echoes series. Joel Philip Myers, who designed for Blenko in the 1960s, brought a sense of whimsy and visual excess to the product line, in keeping with the psychedelic look favored during the period.
Blenko Glass still produces many of its classic designs in items ranging from stemware and tableware to decorative objects and ornamental decanters. Among collectors, pieces created under Husted’s creative direction are of special interest. The company has come to the attention of younger audiences through the documentaries Blenko: Hearts of Glass and Blenko Retro: Three Designers of American Glass, both of which aired on PBS. Blenko also designed the glass award trophy for the Country Music Awards.
- Barbini Style White Blown Glass Vase with Footed BaseBy Barbini, Alfredo BarbiniLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLVintage handblown glass vase with footed base in white opaque glass. The vase has a rounded urn form with Neoclassical / Mid-Century Modern inspired design and features tripod legs i...Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsBlown Glass
- Sculptural Blown Glass Vase by Riihimäen Lasi Oy, Finland, c. 1960'sBy Riihimäen Lasi Oy, Tamara AladinLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLMid-Century Modern blown glass vase with sculptural form features a hooped center with a tapered base design. Designed by Tamara Aladin for the iconic Riihimäen Glass company of Finl...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsBlown Glass
- Murano Glass Vase with Large Air Bubbles in Citrine Yellow, c. 1980'sBy Salviati, Flavio PoliLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLItalian Post-Modern Murano glass vase with Pulegoso technique characterized by irregular air bubbles within the vitreous wall which deliberately obscure its transparency. The hand bl...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsBlown Glass, Murano Glass
- Waterford Crystal Etched Sunflower Vase with Cut Glass Designs, England, c. 2010By Steuben Hawkes, Waterford CrystalLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLLarge vintage Waterford Crystal vase with geometric cut glass designs and etched sunflower motifs reminiscent of the Art Deco era. The v...Category
2010s English Art Deco Vases
MaterialsCrystal
- Abstract Murano Glass Vase by Fratelli Toso in Yellow and Green, c. 1980By Fratelli TosoLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLVintage handblown art glass vase with unique organic form attributed to Fratelli Toso, Italy. The special glassblowing technique showcases the exquisite craftsmanship of this Murano ...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsMurano Glass, Art Glass
- Pink Murano Floral Vase with Footed Base by Fratelli Toso, c. 1950'sBy Fratelli Toso, Flavio PoliLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLMid-Century Modern large footed bowl or vase in pink fuchsia Murano glass. hand blown using Sommerso technique whereby the pink glass is submerged wi...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsMurano Glass
- American Midcentury Crackle Clear Glass Rare Large Fish Vase by BlenkoBy Blenko GlassLocated in San Diego, CAFun midcentury crackle glass collectible fish vase by Blenko, circa the 1970s. The vase is 16" long and 8" tall. Stylish and chic piece of mi...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsBlown Glass
- Midcentury Clear Glass Trumpet Vase by BlenkoBy Blenko GlassLocated in San Diego, CAFun midcentury clear hand blown glass trumpet vase by Blenko, circa 1970s. The vase is 7" W x 6" D x 15.5" H and in very good condition with n...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsBlown Glass
$220 Sale Price20% Off - Amberina Art Blown Crackled Glass in Style of Blenko GlassBy Blenko GlassLocated in Jupiter, FLStunning Art Glass in style of Blenko. I believe it is but do not see the markings or label. Color is vivid and the crackling is so tasteful. Nice weight to this as well.Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsArt Glass
$140 Sale Price20% Off - Blenko Glass Shell BookendsBy Blenko GlassLocated in New York, NY1970s Blenko glass clear glass shell bookends.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories
MaterialsGlass
$495 / set - American Midcentury Clear Glass Fish Vase by BlenkoBy Blenko GlassLocated in San Diego, CAFun midcentury clear glass collectible fish vase by Blenko, circa the 1970s. Stylish and chic piece of midcentury decor.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsBlown Glass
- Large Glass Vase Attributed to BlenkoBy Blenko GlassLocated in New York, NYLarge, glass vase attributed to Blenko, red to orange color gradation. Fine original condition, free of damage.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vases