Vintage 1980s Duralex France Nature 13pc Glass Punch Sangria Bowl Set Boxed
£35.00
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Vintage 1980s Duralex France Nature 13pc Glass Punch Sangria Bowl Set Boxed
£35.00
Item Overview
- Type: Vintage Glass Punch Bowl Set / Retro Sangria Party Beverage Suite
- Designer / Artisan: Saint-Gobain Industrial Glass Artisan
- Brand: Duralex France
- Manufacturer: Les Verreries de Saint-Gobain (La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, France)
- MPN: Ref 6296 (Nature Model Configuration)
- Place of Origin: France
- Style: Retro 1980s Partyware / Mid-Century Transformed Festive Dining
- Colour: Optically Clear High-Clarity Glass / Ice-Frosted Textured Reliefs
- Design Era: Late 20th Century / Retro 1980s Culture (c. 1980 – 1989)
- Material: Heavy-Gauge Toughened Tempered Safety Glass (Duralex Patent)
- Set Includes: Thirteen (13) Original Retro Hospitality Pieces: One (1) Large 6-Litre Master Punch Bowl, Six (6) Matching 220ml Handled Punch Cups, Five (5) Over-Rim Clear Plastic Hanging Hooks, and One (1) Clear Acrylic Serving Ladle, housed together in the original graphic presentation retail box.
- Features: Embossed Frosted Leaf Patterning, Anti-Slip Outer Surface Texturing, Shock-Proof Thermally Treated Glass, Modular Space-Saving Hanging Hooks, Integrated Pouring Flange Lip
- Condition: Exceptional Vintage Condition / Appears Virtually Unused (All glassware pieces display brilliant, cloud-free optical clarity with zero chips, hairline fractures, or stir-scratching; the original 1980s retail display box remains structurally sound with light vintage storage edge-wear)
- Size & Capacity: Substantial hosting proportions; the large master bowl measures a generous 11 inches (approx. 27.9 cm) in outer diameter by 5.5 inches (approx. 14.0 cm) in vertical height, offering a high-capacity 6-litre volume threshold.
Dating & Historical Context
- Dating: This iconic entertaining suite dates from the mid-to-late 1980s. The distinct graphic design typography on the factory box, the corporate branding of "Les Verreries de Saint-Gobain" alongside the Duralex trademark, and the specific "Nature" model reference code (Ref 6296) verify its production right at the height of the 1980s European home-hosting and cocktail buffet boom.
- Historical Note: Invented in 1945 by the industrial glass titan Saint-Gobain, the Duralex proprietary tempering process pioneered a method of rapidly cooling molded glassware to give it unparalleled impact resilience and thermal shock-proof stability. While widely famous for their utilitarian Picardie café tumblers, Duralex applied this heavy-duty manufacturing technology to seasonal partyware in the 1980s with the "Nature" series. The pattern features beautiful, flowing frosted leaf borders mimicking wild vine canopies. This set stands as a fantastic material snapshot of late-20th-century social history—representing the shift toward informal, self-serve buffet dining, punch bowls, and sangria parties that defined British and continental home entertainment during the decade.
Description
An exceptionally vibrant and nostalgia-rich acquisition for retro collectors, festive hosts, or vintage hospitality prop stagers, this complete 13-piece Duralex "Nature" punch bowl set is the ultimate party centerpiece. Crafted from heavy, high-luminance French tempered glass, the set features a massive 11-inch master serving bowl wrapped in an ice-frosted botanical border, complemented by a matched suite of handled cups that hang elegantly around the rim to maximize buffet table space.
Expert Identification & Design Features:
- Ice-Frosted Nature Reliefs: The exterior surfaces of the bowl and cups are adorned with deeply embossed, frosted leaf motifs that create a beautiful chilled visual effect when filled with colourful fruit cocktails, summer sangrias, or warm mulled wines.
- Modular Cup Hooks: Includes its original set of clear over-rim brackets, engineered to suspend the serving cups directly around the perimeter of the main basin, keeping the display perfectly organized and contained.
- Toughened Duralex Quality: Manufactured to withstand radical thermal fluctuations, allowing the host to safely transition the bowl from holding deep-freeze ice blocks to hot, spiced winter beverages without risk of structural cracking.
- Original 1980s Presentation Box: Complete with its original retail packaging featuring classic period photography and dual English/French marketing text ("Nature Punch & Sangria Set"), heavily elevating its collectability and gift-grade status.
Condition Report
This vintage 13-piece party suite is in exceptional vintage condition, showing pristine preservation that suggests it was purely stored away as a special-occasion set. Every glass element is completely free from rim flea-bites, handle cracks, internal impact bruising, or professional restorations. The glass is magnificently clean, retaining its full original luster with no hard-water cloudiness, dishwasher etching, or metal ladle scoring across the interior floors. The accompanying hooks and serving ladle are clear and free from yellowing or plastic splitting. The original cardboard retail box is solid, holding its vivid red printing well, with only expected light scuffing and historic tape marks from decades of safe storage.
Shipping & Logistics
- Domestic Shipping: FREE UK TRACKED DELIVERY.
- Packaging: Due to the complex multi-component layout of this glass set, each cup, hook, and ladle will be wrapped independently in bubble cushioning to prevent glass-on-glass friction. The massive 11-inch bowl will be deeply nested in high-density padding inside its original box, which will then be shipped inside a heavy-duty, double-walled outer transit carton surrounded by loose-fill packing peanuts to guarantee an absolute zero-movement safe arrival.
- Dispatch: Order before 12.00pm and we ship same day.
Returns & Payment Policies
We want you to be delighted with your heritage find.
- Not as Described: In the unlikely event of an error in our listing, we will provide a full refund and cover the return postage costs.
- Change of Mind: We accept returns within 30 days; however, in these instances, the buyer is responsible for the return shipping costs.