Everything's a muddle! Now I don't suggest leaning-in to the chaos; but I might propose making lemonade while all these lemons are raining-down upon us. Shown above, a pair of artglass cocktail "muddlers," made in the mid Twentieth Century. Muddlers are used by bartenders to "muddle" (that is, gently crush) herbs, fruit or spices—thus releasing and enhancing their flavors for mixed drinks. These were made in West Virginia by Morgantown Glass (1899-1971) in the Fifties or Sixties.
These muddlers, sold as a pair, utilize the "sommerso" technique of glassmaking, in which one color is "submerged" within clear glass. The technique was developed in the Thirties by glassmaker Carlo Scarpa, creative director at Venini & Company, Murano, Italy. This method of "suspending" bold color (or colors) within thick, clear glass provided the sculptural drama so-well-suited to Italian Modernist glass design. Likewise, the green and orange central core provides visual interest—while the crisply-reeded handles catch the light and make the muddler easier to grip.
Click on one of the photos, above, to learn more about them.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.