Vintage Ravenhead White Fire 7 Piece Glass Fruit Dessert Bowl Set Boxed 3.3kg
£25.00
Skip to product information
Vintage Ravenhead White Fire 7 Piece Glass Fruit Dessert Bowl Set Boxed 3.3kg
£25.00
Overview
- Designer: John Clappison (Attributed chief designer for the range)
- Brand: Ravenhead Glass
- Manufacturer: Ravenhead Glass
- Type: 7-Piece Fruit & Dessert Bowl Set
- Place of Origin: St Helens, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
- Style: Mid-Century Modern / Retro 1970s Bark Glass
- Colour: Crystal Clear
- Design Era: 1970s Retro (c. 1974–1978)
- Material: Heavyweight Machine-Pressed Glass
- Set Includes: 1 Large Master Serving Bowl, 6 Matching Individual Dessert Bowls, Original Illustrated "White Fire" Storage Box
- Features: Heavily textured brutalist exterior, smooth polished glass interiors, starburst bases.
- Condition: Good Vintage Condition (One bowl chipped - please see report)
- Size: Master Bowl: 8.75" diameter x 3.5" height | Small Bowls: 4.75" diameter x 2.25" height
Dating & Historical Context
- Dating: This set dates strictly to the mid-1970s (c. 1975). The bold, stylized "Brutalist-meets-Space-Age" typography on the retail box along with the English/French marketing bilingualism are diagnostic signatures of Ravenhead's mid-70s export push.
- Historical Note: Produced at the historic St Helens glassworks, the "White Fire" series is an iconic triumph of British mass-production glassware design. Spearheaded during the golden era of chief designer John Clappison, the pattern features deeply molded vertical fissures mimicking natural running ice or frozen tree bark—directly challenging the traditional, dainty cut-crystal trends of the prior decades. It represents the height of affordable, stylish British homeware that defined family Sunday tea tables and festive trifle presentations throughout the 1970s.
Description
A nostalgic classic of 1970s British tableware, this complete seven-piece Ravenhead "White Fire" service features a heavy, satisfyingly tactile presence. The set comprises one commanding master serving centerpiece alongside its full complement of six small individual bowls, all detailed with an organic, flame-like textured exterior frosting that yields to a traditional geometric starburst under the base.
Expert Identification & Design Features:
- Ice/Bark Texture: The exterior surface captures low ambient room lighting beautifully, hiding fingerprint marks effortlessly while providing excellent grip.
- Polished Interiors: The glass interior walls are finished to a mirror-smooth gloss, ensuring the set is perfectly hygienic and simple to clean.
- Complete Boxed Provenance: Finding the delicate custom internal white card separator tray fully intact alongside the original outer carton is extremely scarce, adding strong collector value despite vintage wear.
Condition Report
This set is in good, honest vintage condition and has been priced accordingly to reflect its used status. The heavy clear glass is beautifully bright across all pieces with no cloudy mineral deposit film or dishwasher etching. Five of the small dessert bowls and the large master serving bowl are completely free from chips or cracks. Please note: One individual dessert bowl has a historic flea-bite chip to the top rim margin (clearly highlighted in the final gallery close-ups). The original retail box remains robust and structurally complete with internal card dividers, exhibiting moderate edge wear, age-related scuffing, and historic tape reinforcement residue consistent with half a century of careful domestic storage.
Shipping & Logistics
- Domestic Shipping: FREE UK TRACKED DELIVERY.
- Packaging: Securely double-boxed. Due to the significant 3.3kg total deadweight, the heavy glass components will be wrapped individually in high-density bubble cushioning to eliminate any glass-on-glass friction, completely protecting the fragile contents inside a thick outer transit box.
- Dispatch: Ships within 1 business 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.