Central Glass Thistle Etched Crystal Cocktail Vintage Stemware
I’m partial to Central Glass etched patterns – they have a flowing grace you can see on this cocktail stem. Central went out of business in the early depression years and all their beautiful glass is but a memory.
If you like this etch, you are in good company. President and Mrs. Harding used this crystal for their every day glassware in the 1920s at the White House. (One of the Harding’s other glass patterns, also by Central, has griffens and flowing swags and scrolls, and is called Harding.)
Pretty little cocktail is small, only about 4 inches tall and holds about 3 ounces. It’s a nice size for a apertif or after dinner cocktail or brandy. I have stems this size from my parents that I use for Irish Mist. The right glass makes a difference. It makes your evening more special to drink out of a vintage glass that you know will never be made again.
Imperial Glass got many molds and remade some patterns, but not this one. This is Thistle etch. Tiffin made a similar etched pattern, also called Thistle. This particular little stem is Central’s, line number 1241.
I try to carry Central Glass but have only a few lines, this one, plus a few pieces of Floral Trumpets and Etch 404 Leaf and Border and Scott’s Morning Glory stemware. I’m going to add a search box for TIAS and an eBay listing selection at the end of this article. The eBay selection may have some oddball listings included since I ran it open for Central Glass. Both are affiliate links.