Menu Close

About Blenko Art Glass

Massive floor vase by Blenko on left was designed in 1959. It stands 26” tall and bears the sandblast Blenko signature in use for only two years. Center floor vase in infamous Blenko Blue.
BLENKO ART GLASS
1921 to Present
Designed by Wayne Husted in 1956. Rare item, both in form and color. Blenko part no. 5611.
Designed by Wayne Husted in 1956. Rare item, both in form and color. Blenko part no. 5611.

Blenko Art Glass began production of hand-made studio glass in 1921 West Virginia, USA. One of the very few survivors of the U.S.A.’s glass industry, specializing in colorful, creative and noteworthy art glass and household glass, and still in business today. Blenko is a favorite among collectors of old and new glass.

Blenko’s mid-20th century glass reflects the modernist décor style of the 1940’s through 1970’s. The company’s products were hand-made, very colorful and usually large in size. Blenko glass is almost always thick walled and heavy. The highly characteristic glass usually has some bubbles and lines, and sometimes small inclusions from the furnace.

Massive floor vase by Blenko on left was designed in 1959. It stands 26” tall and bears the sandblast Blenko signature in use for only two years.  Center floor vase in infamous Blenko Blue.
Massive floor vase by Blenko on left was designed in 1959. It stands 26” tall and bears the sandblast Blenko signature in use for only two years. Center floor vase in infamous Blenko Blue. Crackle decanter on right is missing the stopper.

Blenko Art Glass colors are vivid and some have become famous over the years with nicknames like ‘Blenko Blue’. Collectors enjoy amassing groups of Blenko forms in their favorite Blenko colors. Blenko specialized in giant forms of art glass. Most giant Blenko items were made in the past, but a couple styles of giant decanters are available new. Giants measure from 20 inches to 3 feet tall. Blenko also produced miniatures of the giants, but their miniatures are larger than most.

First among the many forms collectors crave are the Blenko Giants. Vintage giants are hard to find today due to the low survival rate of these immense glass creations.

Blenko Art Glass was great then…and still is today. Contemporary Blenko creations are made with the new style of glass, which melts at a lower temperature than old fashioned organic glass, but the Blenko magic is still there. Long live Blenko Art Glass

ABOUT RETRO ART GLASS
Retro Art Glass offers a large selection of authentic antique, vintage and retro glassware and art glass by famous makers of the past. Visit Retro Art Glass at https://www.retroartglass.com and browse through hundreds of fascinating and available glass objects from years gone by.
Abridged Version 2.1 – Copyright 2015 – All Rights Reserved