American Art-Glass Rooster Bookends by Unknown Maker (1970s)

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A pair of heavy art-glass bookends, emblazoned with a stylized, mid-century graphic of a crowing rooster. The well-known design is … Read more A pair of heavy art-glass bookends, emblazoned with a stylized, mid-century graphic of a crowing rooster. The well-known design is assembled from a collection of circles, arcs, and curves in low relief. Often misattributed to the Blenko Glass Company of Milton, a consensus has emerged that these birds are more likely the work of another West Virginia glassworks—either the Viking Glass Company, founded in New Martinsville in 1944, or the Pilgrim Glass Corporation, founded in Ceredo in 1949. (Rich deposits of silica and access to both river and rail transportation, along with its natural gas fields, led to West Virginia’s becoming a center for glass manufacturing after the Civil War.) The subtle green tint, most noticeable along the pieces’ thick edges, is due to the presence of naturally occurring iron oxide in the manufacturing sand. Offered as a set. See less