Mikasa - Drinking set (42) - Chalfonte - Crystal

Set of hand-cut, mouth-blown clear crystal glasses, consisting of:

12 water goblets, height 19.7 x diameter 7.8 cm

11 wine glasses, height 18 x diameter 7.4 cm

11 champagne coupes, height 15.5 x diameter 9.6 cm

8 champagne flutes, height 21.7 x diameter 5.6 cm.

These are elegant crystal glasses featuring a thin gold rim around the top and a tall stem with finely crafted vertical fluting and a shaped central knot. They were made by Mikasa Crystal, model Chalfonte. Status: Discontinued. Period: 1987–1988. The gold rim at the top shows slight signs of wear or age-related irregularities.

Brief history: Mikasa is recognized worldwide as a leader in the tableware industry. George Aratani founded Mikasa, initially under the name “American Commercial Inc.,” in California in 1948. Mikasa’s predecessor was a company called All Star Trading, founded in 1936. The connection between All Star Trading and Mikasa was familial: the Aratani family’s business legacy. Setsuo Aratani, a Japanese American, started All Star Trading as an import-export business specializing in trade with Japan. “Mikasa” means “three umbrellas” in Japanese.