A mid-century American cocktail pitcher from the Trader Vic's "Big Shot" barware series*, circa 1960s. The tall cylindrical body is made in cranberry-red textured glass with a pinched pouring spout, set into a gold-tone metal base modelled after the brass casing of a shotgun shell. The underside is moulded "MAGNUM XXXXX," identifying the pitcher form within the series. Comparable Trader Vic's barware was produced for Imperial Glass, with Morgantown Glass also documented as a manufacturer for pieces in the series.
*The "Big Shot" series was produced as specialty barware for Trader Vic's, using forms derived from shotgun cartridges. The range included Little Shot, Sure Shot, Big Shot, and the larger Magnum pitcher. Imperial Glass is documented as the principal producer, while Morgantown Glass manufactured examples for Imperial.
The Imperial Glass Company was founded in Bellaire, Ohio, USA, in 1901 by Edward Muhleman, with glass production beginning in 1904. The company became one of the major American manufacturers of handmade and pressed glass, producing tableware, decorative glass, barware, lamps, and numerous patterned lines. Imperial remained active through much of the 20th century and became particularly associated with decorative pressed glass and its well-known Candlewick pattern. In 1973 the company came under Lenox ownership and became Lenox Imperial Glass; production ultimately ceased in 1984.
