1950s Blenko #920 Ruby Red Primitive Decanter by Winslow Anderson (Attributed)

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A superb example of Mid-Century Modern American art glass, this ruby red "Primitive" decanter is the Blenko #920 design, attributed … Read more A superb example of Mid-Century Modern American art glass, this ruby red "Primitive" decanter is the Blenko #920 design, attributed to the company’s inaugural design director, Winslow Anderson.

Produced in the early-to-mid 1950s, this piece exemplifies Anderson’s signature "Primitive" aesthetic—prioritizing organic, clean-lined forms and the natural behavior of molten glass over excessive ornamentation. The decanter features a striking squat, rounded body that tapers into a graceful neck with a hand-finished, flared rim.

** Catalog Match: Blenko #920**
Designer: Attributed to Winslow Anderson, who was Blenko’s first design director (1946–1953). He favored these clean, organic, "primitive" shapes that focused on form over ornamentation.

Production Era: Late 1940s through the mid-1950s. While similar shapes persisted into the 60s, the specific squat proportions of your carafe are classic Anderson-era.

Color: Blenko "Ruby." Blenko was famous for its rich Ruby color, which was actually made using real gold in the glass batch to achieve that specific deep, warm glow.

**. Why the identification fits**
The Neck & Lip: Blenko #920 features that exact gently tapered neck and the slightly flared, hand-finished mouth seen in your third photo.

The Pontil: The rough-cut/snapped pontil on the bottom (your second photo) is a hallmark of Blenko production from this period. They didn't start sandblasting or acid-etching their logo consistently until much later (1958–1982 used a sandblasted "Blenko" mark, but many earlier pieces have only the pontil). See less