Set of 6 MCM Culver Ltd. “Cannella” Pattern Highball Glasses C. 1960

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A distinguished set of mid-century American highball glasses designed by Culver Ltd., New York, in their iconic “Cannella” pattern, circa … Read more A distinguished set of mid-century American highball glasses designed by Culver Ltd., New York, in their iconic “Cannella” pattern, circa 1960. Each tapered cylindrical glass is executed in clear soda-lime glass and lavishly overlaid with 22-karat gold in an allover geometric lattice of interlocking circles and verticals, the pattern simulating a stylized cane or rattan weave. The surface treatment achieves both textural complexity and visual rhythm, reflecting Culver’s signature aesthetic fusion of luxury and modernist ornament.

Measuring approximately 5.625 inches high by 2.875 inches wide, the glasses belong to Culver’s celebrated line of mid-century barware that defined American cocktail culture during the postwar period. The “Cannella” pattern, named after the Italian word for cinnamon, is among the firm’s most sought-after designs, prized for its opulent gold application and sophisticated interplay of transparency and pattern.

Culver Ltd., active in New York from the late 1940s through the 1980s, pioneered the technique of heat-fused gilding on glass, using real gold to create richly decorative yet durable barware. Their designs—frequently unmarked—were sold through high-end department stores including Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Bloomingdale’s, and were synonymous with mid-century glamour and domestic entertaining.

The “Cannella” series stands alongside Culver’s other celebrated patterns such as “Valencia,” “Treasure,” and “Pisa,” and continues to be recognized as a classic of American mid-century decorative design. Sets of this pattern remain highly collectible and are regularly featured in publications on American glassware and 20th-century bar design. See less