Mid-Century Art Glass

Mid-century furniture has made a return over the last few
years. We now can appreciate Eames, Le Corbusier, Saarinen, Bertoia, et al. The furnitures
style with its new fluidity and curves was the artistic focus of decor. It was
a big change from the fussier and heavier designs of earlier years. But what about the accessories, the background items that “dress” the
room?

Floor vase at  25″ tall  Table vase, 11″ tall

The 50s and 60s introduced new shapes and colors in decor with ceramics
and glass. Some glass work falls under a category called art glass. One style of
art glass that I admire is known as the “swung” glass vase. It is
created with a technique where hot glass is held by its base with a special
tool and swung in a circle before the glass cools, therefore, pulling and
elongating the mouth of the piece.

I used to see art glass at thrift stores all the time in the 1980s. They
come in great rich shades of blue, red, amber, green, and purple. Almost all
of the American glass manufacturers were based in West Virginia and some of the names to look for are
Blenko, Kanawha, Morgantown,
Pilgrim, Rainbow, and Viking.

Blenko

The most well known one would be Blenko, whose
pieces now fetch huge prices and exhibit in museums around the country. Their design
control and color artistry is amazing. Purchasing a Blenko would be an
investment. However, if you cannot afford one, there are many gems to be found
at your local thrift store or neighborhood yard sale. It is true that some
people do not know what they have; you might get lucky.