Featured Thrift Find: Blenko Charcoal 5616c Vase...?

Disclaimer: Not an expert on Art Glass...barely a novice. I just pick up things from the thrift that speak to me. Usually things that look handmade or artistic.

This one was at the thrift completely foul and dirty, inside and out, but I thought it had a lovely color, quality and a gracefulness you don't see in manufactured stuff so I picked it up and saw the rough pontil. Figured it didn't have to be an "investment" piece because I was going to probably keep it for myself anyway.

One Google hunt later and I think I may have picked up a Blenko 5616c 19.75" Wayne Huster-designed vase in the Charcoal colorway. What say you, experts?





Blenko 1956 Catalog


Thanks to everyone who's posted on other Blenko postings. I read them all and they were so helpful. The BlenkoCollectors.com site that was suggested is just the sort of perfect enthusiastic collector's site with amazing history that I always try to find, but Google buries because the internet searches are shit now.

 

In my limited experience, most Blenko have finished bases, not pontil scars. But that sure looks like the catalog picture. Charcoal may be the color but it would be early, in the 60's charcoal tended to blue-green. If you do an ebay search Blenko "5616" (without the quotes you get hundreds of listings!) you get several. The one I pulled up (tangerine) has the pontil and is acid-etched Blenko on the base. Good for you! I love Blenko, it's beautiful stuff.

Linda

 

I saw that one while at the thrift (woo Lens!) and thought "ah this must not be a 'real' one but I'll get it anyway because it is pretty and $5." I did more digging when I got home and found the catalog listing. The Collectors site has a page on the pontil as apparently some people think a Blenko must have a rough pontil? But they can be rough or ground according to them? The color I think matches when the vase was designed at least. It looks like a lot of them don't have the logo etching, but I haven't looked further into what year that started...maybe I should.

Thank you! I didn't know about Blenko before this but that's the fun of the thrift for me. I try to find beautiful objects and then learn the history of the artisans behind them. Blenko stuff looks really lovely. I can see why people collect it.

 

I found a Blenko decanter in my local swap shop, it had a pontil scar, and luckily the original sticker

 

I love the texture pattern on it!

 

Looks spot-on to me. Very nice find, especially in the Charcoal color glass. Also, take a look at the 1957 catalog - that design number was listed differently from 1956:

5616a ---> 5616
5616b ---> 5616-B
5616c ---> 5616-A

And then in 1958:

5616 ---> Discontinued
5616-B ---> 5616-B
5616-A ---> 5616-C

I only mention it if you are planning to list it for sale. If you search on eBay, you'll find as many variations of the "5616x" number as you can think of, due to the Blenko catalog confusion.

1957 Catalog - Page 21:


1958 Catalog - Page 11:

 

Thank you so much for checking the others! I stopped with the first one because downloading large pdfs on my phone was making it mad... I will save your images so I remember, if I ever did sell it...and just for my information in general.

I enjoy the charcoal color a lot and it goes great in my home, but I had wondered if it was less popular since so much of the pieces I see are in bright, "fun" colors.