Frozen Poetry: Bimini Martini Glasses with Whimsical Animals

A remarkable set of four Bimini footed martini cocktail glasses, dating from circa 1925–1935, captures the playful elegance and artistic innovation of Viennese glass design from the interwar period. Each hand-blown glass is a miniature marvel, combining sculptural complexity with functional form.

The stem is the centerpiece, featuring two distinct central 'bubbles.' The lower bubble is tear-drop shaped and studded with tiny glass prunts, a detail reminiscent of 17th-century European glassware, providing a unique texture and grip. Suspended within the globe-shaped bubble above is a delicate, lamp-blown animal figurine"”a horse, a wild cat, a dog, and a bear. The conical martini bowl above is distinguished by elegant orange and white swirling patterns, a characteristic feature of Bimini's style that evokes the refined latticino technique of Venetian glasswork.

Dimensions: 721 inches high x 341 inches wide (19.05cm high x 8.26cm wide).

Historical Context: The Art of Bimini Glass
This set is a product of Bimini, a visionary Viennese glass workshop founded in 1923 by the poet, artist, and entrepreneur Fritz Lampl (1892–1955). Lampl was deeply inspired by modern glass fantasy shapes, which he described as "poetry materialised," and set out to create his own line of "frozen poetry" in glass.

The Genesis of Bimini
The company was born out of a collaboration between Lampl, a skilled but unemployed industrial glassblower, and his brother-in-law, architect and designer Joseph Berger. They worked with colored, striped glass tubes, transforming craft into art through the virtuosity of lamp-blowing. Lampl named the company after the fictional, idyllic island of "Bimini" from a poem by Heinrich Heine, signifying eternal ecstasy and creative freedom.


Style and Success
Bimini quickly gained prominence in the 1920s. The firm's distinguishing features were the delicacy of its lamp-blown technique, the elegant design of its pieces, and a commitment to conveying emotion and movement in their abstract, often single-color figurines. They were known for whimsical designs like these animal-in-a-bubble glasses, as well as figurines, vases, and other household objects. The firm gained international recognition, winning prizes at a Paris exhibition in 1925 and exhibiting across Europe and the USA. Their popular success led to Bimini setting up fashionable showrooms in Vienna's Stubenring.

Exile and Legacy
Tragically, the success of Bimini was cut short by the rise of Nazism and the Anschluss (annexation of Austria) in 1938. As a Jewish-owned business, it was no longer safe. Fritz Lampl was one of many who emigrated to England in 1938, where he successfully gained a visa by presenting himself as a craftsman. He continued his glassmaking career in England under the new name, Orplid.


This set of Bimini martini glasses stands as a beautiful testament to the Viennese Modernism of the Jazz Age"”an era of high artistic innovation and playful elegance tragically interrupted by world events. Bimini's work is now highly sought after, representing a sophisticated blend of craft, poetry, and design.

(Ref: NY10770-kmrx)


Condition:
Alterations: Original Condition Unaltered
Imperfections: Some Imperfections
Condition Notes: Good condition

Dimensions:
Height: 7.5 in.
Width: 3.25 in.
Depth: 3.25 in.

Category: Cocktail Glasses
Origin: Austria
Materials: Blown Glass
Creator: Brand: Bimini Glass

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Location: This item ships from Downingtown, PA

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Original Condition Unaltered; Some Imperfections; Good condition