1960s Dorothy Thorpe Silver Banded Tall Tapered Glass Pitcher
About the Item
- Creator:Dorothy Thorpe (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 8.625 in (21.91 cm)Width: 3.75 in (9.53 cm)Depth: 3.75 in (9.53 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa 1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Overall great condition, natural darkened patina on silver, couple of chips to silver as shown in photo.
- Seller Location:Hawthorne, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6500235187032
Dorothy Thorpe
Dorothy Thorpe glassware was a chic staple of every mid-century modern wet bar, paricularly her festive Roly Poly silver-banded tumblers. Although not as widely known as such contemporaries as Eva Zeisel and Edith Heath, Thorpe was one of a group of creative and entrepreneurial women whose designs captured the imagination of the postwar homeowner with her modern and festive designs.
Thorpe was born in Salt Lake City in 1901 and settled in Los Angeles as a young woman. She began creating her signature glassware using the trade name Dorothy Thorpe Originals in the 1930s. Thorpe was a designer, not a glassblower. To create her shimmering wares, she purchased glass blanks from a variety of manufacturers and subjected them to various techniques, including sandblasting, etching and silver overlay. Initially Art Deco in style, the pieces were signed with a large T and smaller D. Thorpe also worked in ceramics and, in the 1940s, with Lucite, producing a line of household items, such as magazine racks, sculptural lamps, candlesticks and umbrella stands.
After World War II, Thorpe was inspired by the new interest in the flowers and animals of the South Pacific to begin incorporating tropical floral motifs into her work. She traveled to Hawaii and studied local irises, roses, azaleas, narcissus and eucalyptus. The decorative patterns based on these studies were created primarily by sandblasting, which makes a glass surface appear frosted. From the 1930s through the ’50s, Thorpe’s designs won her many fans among the members of café society, including Princess Grace of Monaco and the Shah of Iran. They were also widely imitated. Vintage tumblers that bear a silver stripe around the rim but lack the “DT” signature on the bottom are not Thorpe originals.
In the 1950s, Thorpe created the glassware line Atomic Splash, which featured the energetic geometric patterns that were so popular at the time. Atomic Splash patterned drinking glasses and serving dishes bore a silver overlay that evoked an explosion. She also designed a line of ceramic tableware decorated with a wreath of spring flowers in collaboration with Crown Lynn Pottery, in New Zealand, and, in the mid-’60s, created coffee sets for the Santa Barbara and Monterey companies. Among her own ceramics products were lines glazed iin the eye-catching shades Orange Persimmon and Blue Periwinkle.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Hawthorne, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Geometric Glass Umber Water Drink Pitcher 1970sLocated in Hawthorne, CABeautiful vintage thick glass pitcher. Deep orange-umber color with textured geometric design. No chips or cracks. 5.25" W 8.25" HCategory
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Pitchers
MaterialsGlass
- Tall Narrow Mid-Century Danish Modern Teak Wood Shelf 1960sLocated in Hawthorne, CATall narrow Danish mid-century modern teak wood bookshelf. Two fixed shelves, all others are adjustable. A couple of discolored lines on the right upper side (see photo). No chips in...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsWood, Teak
- 1960s Pair '2' of Tapered Teal Vases by Riihimaen Lasi by Tamara AladinLocated in Hawthorne, CAA beautiful matching pair of handmade glass vases by Tamara Aladin for Riihimäen Lasi. The lines of this vase are simple and beautiful. Clear thick glass as a base makes for a sturdy...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Vases
MaterialsGlass, Art Glass, Blown Glass
- 1960s Cylindrical Faceted Art Glass Serving BowlLocated in Hawthorne, CAFaceted edge-square cylindrical serving bowl with straight sides and small hidden foot. Polished arch facets catch the light beautifully. Excellent vintage condition. 10.5" x 10.5" ...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Serving Bowls
MaterialsGlass, Art Glass
- Vintage Thick Glass Faceted Ashtray Catchall Dish 1960sLocated in Hawthorne, CAVintage low thick clear glass ashtray. Beautiful facets that make this piece shine in different lightings. Divots for cigarettes on each side. No chips but some scratches are present...Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Decorative Dishes and Vide-P...
MaterialsGlass
- 1960s Smokey Glass and Walnut Coffee Table by John Keal Brown SaltmanBy Brown Saltman, John KealLocated in Hawthorne, CAClassic mid-century modern walnut wood and smokey glass coffee table designed by John Keal for Brown Saltman. Contrasting platform black base. Features one drawer with original label...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsSmoked Glass, Wood, Walnut
- 1960s Italian Clinker Red Glass PitcherLocated in High Point, NCRomantic and striking, this glass vase offers a unique vintage accent. Made in Italy in the 1960s, the shape is elegant and piercing: a slender handle gracefully merges with the colo...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsBlown Glass
- 1960s Italian Panorama Blue Glass PitcherLocated in High Point, NCRomantic and striking, this glass vase offers a unique vintage accent. Made in Italy in the 1960s, the shape is elegant and piercing: a slender handle gracefully merges with the colo...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsBlown Glass
- 1960s Scandinavian Glass Cocktail Martini PitcherBy Kosta Vicki LinstrandLocated in Chula Vista, CA1960s Scandinavian Glass Cocktail Martini Pitcher Glass 9 h x 4 d x 3.5 diameter Preowned original vintage condition Refer to images shown please.Category
Vintage 1960s European Scandinavian Modern Pitchers
MaterialsGlass
- 1960s Green Glass Pitcher American Collectible BarwareBy Blendo Glass 1Located in North Hollywood, CAVintage pastel green glass ware pitcher, American collectible. 1960s Green Glass Pitcher American Collectible Barware. Gorgeous 1960s Blendo green lar...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware
MaterialsGlass
- 1960s Modernism Silver Water Pitcher Fabulous Lines MexicoBy Tommi ParzingerLocated in Chula Vista, CAVintage silverplated water pitcher fabulous clean modern lines 10.5 tall x 3.25 w x 6 d Preowned unrestored condition. Vintage patina. Few...Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Pitchers
MaterialsSilver Plate
- 1960s French Grape PitcherLocated in High Point, NCA ceramic pitcher from France, produced circa 1960. This sculpted pitcher is modeled into the distinctive shape of a grape canopy, suggesting the vessel's continents. Appearing with ...Category
Vintage 1960s French Country Pitchers
MaterialsCeramic