Collector's Guide to Libbey Nash Silhouette

If rare, beautiful glass grabs your interest, check out Libbey's very rare figural stemware from the 1930s: Libbey Nash Silhouette. This figural glass has sleek animal stems that display beautifully and is among the rarest of glass. It's rare enough, some antique dealers don't recognize it, which makes it that much more exciting to find. 

In 1931, Libbey Glass launched an upscale Art Deco line led by a former Tiffany executive, Douglas Nash. Unfortunately, the release crashed headlong into the Great Depression. The pricey glassware nearly sank Libbey Glass. The Libbey Nash line closed after less than two years in production. 

Among the Libbey-Nash venture is the rare Silhouettes line. I classify them into tiers based on rarity. I also look at stem color, as the initial catalog showed only moonstone (opalescent) and black, but most pieces are also found in frosted (or satin). Tier 1 pieces, though uncommon, pop up the most. Tier 2 is even less common, and the price varies with things like season, auction house and whether a bidding war engages. Tier 3 is extremely rare and prices are higher, and seriously market-driven.

Each Libbey Nash Silhouette glass type has a distinct animal figure, so the Kangaroo stem is always on the Cocktail, for example. To me, it's a treasure hunt, which makes them fun to collect. Note that these pieces are sometimes not marked, but they are still Libbey Silhouettes. These have not been reproduced, and while other glass makers created figural stemware, no one else made these. The mark is a script Libbey in circle, which may be faint. I have one unmarked piece with a small Libbey sticker intact. 

           

Frosted Kangaroo

Tier 1: Kangaroo, Monkey & Greyhound

The Kangaroo Cocktail, though rare, is most common of the Silhouettes. Frosted Kangaroo (satin glass) seems most common to me; opalescent moonstone is next; black is least common. A Kangaroo Cocktail in amber or red shoots it to the top of the rarity list. NOTE: Only the stem color changes. 

Frosted Monkey

The Monkey Sherry . The frosted and moonstone Monkeys are about equally rare with the black less common. I’ve never seen another color in the monkey, so if you see an amber or red stemmed monkey, it’s rare! Side note: Of my four Monkey Sherrys, only one has the acid-etched signature. 

Black & Moonstone Greyhound Cordials

The Greyhound Cordial is next in rarity, in my experience, and possibly belongs in Tier 2. The moonstone stem shows up often  enough to call it Tier 1, although the variations are very rare. Black Greyhound Cordials are rarer yet, and Satin Frosted are very rare. The Greyhound takes some study, because it doesn’t look like a Greyhound to me. It’s a sleek, stylized figure. My moonstone and black are marked. My satin frosted are unmarked.

Tier 2: Squirrel, Cat, Rabbit & Bear

These next 4 are pretty close in rarity, with exceptions for variations.

Hollow Stem Squirrel

The Squirrel Champagne is a saucer champagne, most likely to surface in  moonstone. A variation on the Squirrel Champagne is the Hollow Stem (shown here). A tall hollow stem raises the bowl and also the rarity factor. Hollow Stem Squirrel Champagnes pop up very, very rarely, so much they probably belong in the Tier 3 group.  The Squirrel Champagne is the only Silhouette with this hollow stem variation, to my knowledge. I stayed up until 2 a.m. to bid on one, and still lost out. (More on Squirrel variations below.)

Moonstone Cat Goblet

Black Cat Stem

Cat Goblets. Cat Goblets show up most commonly in frosted and opalescent, with black less common. Price varies with color and depending on whether you want a whole set. 

Note on sets: A complete set is breathtaking! Yet, to me, one of each piece creates a museum. Ours are for display only, so we're happy with one of each.

Black Rabbit Sherbet

Rabbit Sherbets are squat, broad bowled glasses. Like the Greyhound, recognizing a Rabbit Sherbet takes a keen eye. Rabbits are rare in any color. A moonstone rabbit sold in 2015 on Live Auctioneers for $200. Add the 21% buyer’s premium, and the price totals $242. 

NOTE: The rabbit stem also was made as a vase. According to Fauster's book, these are not part of the original catalog, but others have told me they were indeed advertised from the beginning. They are also very rare.

Frosted Bear Claret

The Bear Claret is rare, although availability varies widely. You can go for many months and not see one, then have a few pop up at the same time. Like most others, they may exists in amber or red, but I haven’t seen one. For a real deal, don't pass up an unmarked Bear Claret, which can go for well under $100. They're still Libbey, still the real thing, and just may complete your collection of Libbey Nash Silhouettes.

Uncut Glass Squirrel
Cut Flowers & Initials

SPECIAL NOTES: Squirrel. A variation not in the original catalog appears often enough to warrant discussion: An uncut Squirrel. Some call it an ivy bowl, brandy snifter, or an unfinished piece their great-uncle sneaked home in a lunch box. 

The real story, as I understand it: These were available during tours of the Libbey factory in the 1930s. They are glass, not leaded crystal as the rest of the line is. Some have elaborate, skillfully cut monograms or patterns, which we find especially cool to own. Glass cutting was art and skill, and being a 1930s Master Glasscutter was an honor. These can be found cut with initials or designs. 

Tier 3: Very rare, Camel, Giraffe & Elephant

All are very rare and beautiful.

Camel Candlesticks are taller than the stemware. 
We were thrilled to add these to our collection. Very rare in any color, even a solo candlestick is a find. The best deal I saw was an opalescent Camel Candlestick set that went for $300 (plus 20% buyer’s premium) sold at auction where it was advertised simply as Libbey. Not Nash. Not Silhouette. Not rare. (Had I been there, I would have jumped on it.)

The lesson here: When buying: search "Libbey," and go through listings. If selling: list with Libbey Nash Silhouette + animal name & size.

The Giraffe Compote is one of the most coveted Libbey Nash Silhouette pieces. It is tall and beautiful with lovely lines. It is extremely rare in any color.

The elusive Elephant Bowl tops the list. One long-time collector says he has every piece, but has never even seen an elephant bowl, other than at the Libbey Glass Museum. We have seen opalescent and black elephant bowls. We don't own one.

Note on marks: When marked, these have the acid-etched script "Libbey" in circle mark. However, Libbey Nash Silhouette pieces have not been reproduced. Even if unmarked, it is the genuine article. Some collectors avoid unmarked pieces, so these may sell for less, but as a collector, whether it's marked makes little difference to me. They are the real deal. 

The Libbey-Nash era produced other beautiful glassware, all of which is very rare, and perhaps for another blog post, another day.

Note on selling: In the past, I mentioned Ebay as a good place to sell your Libbey Silhouette pieces, but I no longer advocate for this. Recently, I saw two pieces of the rarest Libbey Silhouette pieces sell on Ebay auction for less than I believe they would have sold elsewhere. Ebay has a hard close; the time it ends is fixed. Other auctions use a soft close, so any bid in the last few minutes extends the closing, allowing competing bids to be entered. Until Ebay finds a way to offer the soft close, my advice is to either set your price, or offer your Silhouettes at an auction such as Jeffrey Evans, DuMouchelles or another reputable auction house specializing in high-end collectibles.  

Join in the conversation! If you have pieces you'd like to share or sell, pieces you're looking for, or you have knowledge to share, we're always looking to learn more. This blog has been revised as information comes to us, so please join in!

Until then, Happy Hunting! May your treasures be many!

---Jennie Dugan, RDJ's Antiques. 

(Updated 03/11/2022, JD)