The wide-shoulder bottle form was a deliberate mid-century design choice in the American spirits industry — the dramatically flared shoulder creating a visual width at the top of the bottle that communicated substance and quality on a retail shelf where standard cylindrical bottles blended together. The Owens-Illinois maker’s mark and 1951 date code on the base attribute manufacture precisely, placing this bottle in the early 1950s surge in American spirits production that followed postwar economic recovery. The wide shoulder silhouette is immediately recognizable to anyone familiar with mid-century American bottle design.
No brand embossing on the body. Unbranded — the form and the Owens-Illinois date code are the primary identifying features. Base marked with Owens-Illinois diamond-I mark and 51 production date.
Condition is excellent. No chips or cracks. Clean amber glass with authentic age-appropriate patina. Sharp base markings fully readable.
Dimensions: 10.75" H × 3.5" W at widest point × 2.75" W at base | Amber glass | Excellent vintage condition
The wide-shoulder silhouette is a genuine conversation piece — the exaggerated proportions read as deliberately designed rather than generic, and the form holds its own on a bar cart or bookshelf display without needing a brand name to carry the visual weight. Works as a statement bud vase for tall dried grasses or pampas where the wide amber shoulder provides a dramatic base, or alongside branded mid-century spirits bottles where the form distinction adds visual variety.
Recovered from New York City’s historic shorelines and landfill sites by Brooklyn Sea Glass. Ships carefully packed.
