Photo By Gail

This distinctive Pink Flamingo Reverse Goblet (1992) by Fritz Dreisbach is part of larger collection of art glass goblets owned by the Museum of Arts and Design in Manhattan. The collection is displayed in a rather out of the way location, which is against the street-facing windows of a stairway alcove, which takes advantage of natural light enhancing the translucency of the glassware.

While the function of this object is clearly to hold drinks, it’s also a highly decorative work of art. This can be said of i then entire Louvre  of Dreisbach (b. 1941), an artist and teacher who is recognized as one of the pioneers of the American Studio Glass Movement.

The artist explains what is meant by a Reverse Goblet below:

“Goblets have been interesting for me since I started to blow glass in 1964. Historically, goblets have always demonstrated the delicate fluidity of molten glass. They consist of three distinct sections or zones: the cup (for drinking), the foot (for support) and in the middle you can put anything you want. But, no matter how loose and organic the stems are, the lip and foot must still function!

When I switched from a hot cookie foot to a blown foot, about 1980, I conceived the concept of a reversible goblet. Since each goblet foot is also a bowl, you can drink out of either end. One end can be for drinking cognac, the other for champagne.”