The Ultra-Rare Vintage Pyrex Dish You'd Be Thrilled Find At A Thrift Store

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In the world of Pyrex collecting, there are your standard patterns, produced by the company for years and years. Classic patterns like Dots, Snowflake, and Butterprint were in production for multiple years — in some cases, more than a decade — and aren't too difficult to track down today, either while thrifting or browsing online. Then there are the promotional patterns. These were the pieces made for a limited time only, usually for the holidays or other special occasions. The Lucky in Love pattern is one example of a promotional Pyrex item that's called the holy grail of valuable vintage kitchenware finds. Black Tulip, produced between 1956 to 1957, is another.

Pyrex released the Black Tulip pattern in one form — the 1.5-quart casserole dish, with a clear glass lid and cradle, often called a "Decorator Casserole." The dish was one of the first promotional pieces to have a printed pattern on it, rather than being a solid color. While it's not commanding the same prices as its fellow promotional patterns, like rare vintage pink or orange Butterprint Pyrex mixing bowls, it can sell for over $100. You should note that a Black Tulip casserole dish alone commands a lower price than one with a lid.

Black Tulip isn't actually the pattern's official name, although it is an accurate description of what is on the casserole dish. The pattern features several tulip-shaped black flowers, which appear to dance across the front. The flowers' petals have dashes up and down them and the leaves on the stem have circles. In addition to the flowers, the pattern has multiple, small pinwheels scattered across it.

The most coveted form of Black Tulip is a casserole dish that comes complete with a lid and the cradle. Unfortunately, it's often the case that, over the decades, dishes got separated from their lids and cradles. The metal cradles Pyrex offered with its promotional pieces weren't the best quality, particularly in the early years. It's likely that the cradle that came with the Black Tulip dish had thin plastic tubing over its handles. Since the company didn't mark metal cradles the way it marked its dishes, it can be difficult to know if the cradle being sold with a dish is the original.

While the origin of the dish's cradle may be difficult to ascertain, the authenticity of a Black Tulip casserole dish and lid is easier to determine. One way to spot the valuable vintage Pyrex dish is to look on the underside of the casserole — it will have a backstamp that reads "PYREX," plus "043," the model number of the casserole, "Made in the USA," and "1 1/2 qt." The matching lid will have the number "943" on one handle and "PYREX" on the other.