Gouge-ous

This is a technique that I am particularly fond of. Each little teardrop is carved out by small hand tool and the edges glazed a contrasting black for shadowed effect, from Italy, 1950's.

Lovely Redundancy

A fantastic 50s relic. I love a surreal tableau of ceramics upon ceramic, so artfully achieved here in brown and white by Danish designer Thomas Toft.

Size Matters

Generally,  I'll isolate an object in order to highlight it's unique beauty. However, in the case of this monumental Blenko lamp, I thought seeing it aside other objects might help illustrate just how magnificent its size. Measuring 48" to the top of its large drum shade, this piece is indeed monumental.  It was made as a part of Blenko's lamp line and was inspired by the company's large format floor decanters...as opposed to being converted from a vase to a light.

Italian Olives

A rather rare color for Italian glass...Olive. This grouping, likely from Empoli, is extra special for its optical feature. The molten glass would have been blown into a mold in order to achieve this striped look.  The result is a motion-like effect when you hold one up to the light and move the glass to-and-fro.

Our Latest Hang-up

A hanging lamp in the style of Barbini. Opalescent glass with a hint of lavender and controlled bubbles. This ambient lamp adds a subtle touch of soft light to the room.

Color Combo

One of my favorite color-mixes remains these particular shades of blue and green. There is something so "poppy" about deep turquoise and chartreuse that is so evocative of an era, yet daring colors never really go out of style.

Just Clowin' Around Here

Yes, we love a good chuckle, yet these are not just any clowns. These are actually created by one of the most renowned names in mid-century Murano glass... Alfredo Barbini. Whimsical paperweights imported by Weil Ceramics and Glass for their tony 5th Avenue showroom in the 50s. Fun was fashionable once upon a time.

You've Urned It

Once again, we've got the blues. Italian pottery from this era often comes in vibrant shades of cobalt, likely influenced by the deep blue sea.

3 of a Kind

An iconic asymmetrical shape designed by Gunnar Ander for Lindshammar, Sweden. Our vintage selection of bud vases are currently in pea green, cobalt, and a light lavender.

Upscale From Down Under

When you are receiving merchandise from all over the world, sometimes the objects start to tell their own story. In this case...certain shapes, although made in Italy, are only found in Australia. It seems likely that in the 60's some major department store down under must have commissioned works expressly for them. Now, we are importing them to our shop here in Manhattan. That's some well-traveled glass!

Ample Amber

The most collectable name in American glass has become Blenko. Hand blown in West Virginia, this Amber stoppered bottle was designed in the mid 60's by Joel Philip Meyers. Its proportions are beautifully rotund.

Mid-Century Mexicana

Another trip South of The Border. This Mexican mask is not your typical tourist souvenir, not by a long shot. Created in the fifties, this semiprecious piece incorporates Quartz, Blue Lapis Lazuli, Black Onyx, and even Abalone shell.  Fantastico!

Chic Piece of The Week

This oyster colored cased glass vase is from Murano master Carlo Moretti, probably from the 70's. I can just imagine Halston picking one of these out from Bloomingdale's to place in his posh New York apartment.

Mottled Marvles

Test your decorative knowledge: Which of these special spotted ceramic vases is British and which is German??? Answers will be updated tomorrow. UPDATE: The top vase is from West Germany and falls into a category widely known as "Fat Lava". This type of pottery is recognizable by it's rough textures and bold combinations of color. The lower vase is Poole from Great Britain. From the Delphis line, this pottery is equally bright, but the surface is smooth and the coloration more painterly in its application.

Let's Get Crackin'

Ever wonder just how the glass artisans of Blenko achieved their famous "crackle" effect? The method involves dipping the still molton vase in a cold water bath causing the fissures to occur and subsequently capturing the cracked effect by putting the vase back in the oven to essentially seal the crazed effect for all time.

You Can Hold a Candle to These

A pair of candlesticks designed (and signed) by Gunnar Nylund for Rorstrand, Sweden, circa 1950's. 

This One's For The Birds

Little sparrows inhabit this 1950's Italian ceramic vase. You should consider getting this. I have a feeling this one is going to fly out of the shop.

Show Stopper

No one did stoppers quite like Flavio Poli. Seen here in amber and emerald...this exaggerated stopper always stops me in my tracks.

Horsing Around

This rather animated Italian box is charming in its equine design. The style of the box itself is similar to the works of Alvino Bagni...with all the whimsy and gloss typical of his little ceramic stash-away boxes from the 50's. The mane feels vaguely Ancient Roma.

Trunk Show

What a pretty pachyderm! Italian from the 50's in a particularly vibrant shade of turquoise. 

A 'Good Egg'

With swirls of both copper and gold, this vintage Murano gem is certainly worth its weight. Truly a beauty and satisfyingly hefty in the hand.

Mondrian-a-like

I'm in love with this piece of West German pottery painted in a pattern that is quintessentially 50's. Grey matte glaze with an abstract cross-hatch and color blocked hints of burgundy, white, turquoise and yellow. At just under two feet tall... it's a real statement-making floor vase.

Czech This Out

Not a category of glass we usually concentrate on, however what a spectacular example of glass from Czechoslovakia! The prismatic color display seems infinite in its rainbow effect... Bohemian defined. UPDATE: Just discovered via helpful reader that this piece is  by Oldrich Lipsky for Exbor.

The Value of Gold

Neither glazed nor painted, this Italian terracotta vase is gold leafed by hand. Although it was made in the 1950's, it has not dulled with age, making its reflective quality a great way to add a touch of illumination to a room.

A Ship Passing in The Night

A modern design marvel circa 1950's from Sven Jonson for Gustavsberg, Sweden. This box is from a series called "Facett" in which sterling silver is actually inlayed in black stoneware ceramic. Mint condition with all its original markings and identifying stickers intact. (top measures 5.5" X 4")

Windows to Our World

Stephen has orchestrated a window display of desirous objects in a sophisticated color combination of amber and reds of all tones from candy apple to burgundy. Our figurines are clearly in ecstasy over their luxurious surroundings.

Today's Top Shelf

The color palette du jour is every shade of mauve imaginable. Barbini up front and Empoli all around. Power to the purple!

Variations on a Theme

More in the line of faceted Murano glass. All objects are on the small side (3-4" wide & 2-5"tall) and in my mind's eye would look handsome on a gentleman's dresser or desk.

Dive Right In

Most likely Seguso, an amorphous shaped bowl in a color of cobalt blue reminiscent of the sea in Capri.

What a Drip

Purple Italian glass in an unusually freeform shape.