Out scouting today, I found some brown vintage glassware, the kind I especially look for. I love the sleek shapes of this glass, as do people who are looking to set a retro-style dinner table.
Brown is a great color for fall, and it trends in and out of fashion in general. Now it is on the “in” swing.
This color was also prominent in the 1970s, and the retro glassware in the photo is from that era.
A soft nut brown color, dark or light, is sometimes called “tawny.”
Note the similarity and differences in the shapes, as well as the colors. Both have an overall sleek shape, and gentle curves in the foot and stem sections. The bowl sections show greater differences.
The lighter piece is an on the rocks glass, in the Accent pattern, by Libbey. The bowl is slightly tapered from its bottom to top. This pattern dates from the mid-1970s.
The darker piece is a wine glass in the Impromptu pattern, also by Libbey. At the bottom of the bowl, there is a flare. Otherwise, the sides are straight. This pattern dates from the 1970s, into the early 1980s.
Both these patterns included a number of different piece types, standard drinkware and barware forms, such as goblets, tumblers, double old fashioned and sherbet/champagne glasses. These pieces are out there to be found in various secondary marketplaces.
Brown goes with bold colors and neutral colors. It is warm and homey. It can anchor bright and vivid colors in a tablescape, and give dramatic elegance to pale colors. It can dress up or down, to go with formal dinnerware (especially those patterns with gold tones) or complement a casual table setting.
It’s great to see how everything old is new again! Both of these brown vintage glassware patterns will say “retro” in your eclectic fall table setting.
About the photo: Vintage glassware in tones of brown. Tawny Accent and Tawny Impromptu. Both by Libbey.
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I can add a bit of history to these designs for you. My father was lead 3-D designer and modeler at Libbey Glass from the early/mid 70’s through mid 80’s. His name was Larry Miller. He did most of the specialty and “shaped” pieces from this period of time for Libbey as well as L.E. Smith. I remember these glasses very well. The “Impromptu” in particular was very popular for customizing with silk screen for advertising with restaraunts and lounges. They were designed and made at the Libbey plant in Toledo, Ohio
Thank you for this posting. I know the Tawny Accent glass pattern well but could not find any info on what I now know to be my Impromptu pieces from Libbey. Do not like posting stuff without knowing what it is, so again thanks.
*~Eli
Can you tell me if the Accent glassware is marked? I picked up a set that looks very much like these but they don’t have the Libbey mark. Thanks!
Most of these pieces are not marked. It may be that they were never marked, or that the marks were melted in a late stage of production.