Collectible Tobacciana / Salt Cellar, L.E. Smith Glass, Wheelbarrow, Basketweave, American Art Glass, Vintage 1940s–1950s

A wheelbarrow small enough to fit in your palm. Made when a party meant everyone had their own.

This is a vintage L.E. Smith glass wheelbarrow — a pressed basketweave glass novelty piece produced circa 1946–1954, originally designed as an individual tabletop collectible. Made in USA. One available.

The form is entirely charming: a miniature wheelbarrow in clear pressed glass with a basketweave texture running the length of the body, a single wheel at the front, and a small indentation at the back — a detail that speaks to its original purpose as a tabletop novelty at card games, dinner parties, and the casual entertaining culture of postwar American domestic life, when such small, clever objects were considered both practical and thoroughly stylish.

Today it makes a perfect salt cellar — a small spoon rests naturally in the indentation — or a ring holder by the sink, a desk organizer for stamps or clips, a placecard holder, or simply a piece of Spring and Summer decorative glass. The basketweave texture catches light beautifully. Note: there is a manufacturing flaw inside the wheel — a small piece of debris captured in the glass during production — visible in the photographs and fully disclosed.

L.E. Smith Glass Company was founded in 1907 in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania and became one of America's most respected pressed glass manufacturers, known for their novelty forms, colored glass, and Depression-era wares. Their pieces are actively collected today as examples of mid-century American art glass at its most inventive and accessible.

A wonderful find for an L.E. Smith collector, a pressed glass enthusiast, a lover of farmhouse or country kitchen décor, or anyone drawn to the wit and craftsmanship of mid-century American novelty glass.

• Maker: L.E. Smith Glass Company, Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania
• Made in: USA
• Dated: circa 1946–1954
• Dimensions: 5.0" long | 2.5" wide | just over 1.0" tall
• Material: Pressed glass, basketweave pattern
• Condition: Vintage used, very good. Manufacturing flaw inside wheel — debris captured in glass during production, visible in photos. Please review all photos carefully — we cannot accept returns.