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Apart from limited–edition work by designers such as Victor Durand for Vineland Flint Glasswork, most American Art Deco glass was cheap, even when compared with inexpensive imports from Bohemia. Molded and–pressed art glass dominated production by American glass factories during the–1920s and–1930s. Several firms, such as the Phoenix Glass Company and the Consolidated Lamp & Glass Company, copied Lalique designs using cost–cutting techniques.

The Consolidated Lamp & Glass company also produced a more original pressed glass range called Ruba Rombic. Strikingly angular, and in colors such as smoky topaz and jungle green, Ruba Rombic glassware was created by Reuben Haley, who was inspired by Cubist art. Depression glass put Art Deco design within the reach of those with modest incomes. Its production started in the 1920s but really took off in the 1930s, hence its name.

Image. Ruba Rombic water pitcher.

The Art Deco period saw a boom in mass–production techniques. In glassware, these were pioneered by Lalique, who used hot metal molds, giving way to new forms and designs. Bold geometric shapes were fashionable, as was Egyptian–influenced styling following the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. Stylized flora and–fauna also remained popular. Polychromatic cased glass and iridescent and opalescent glass became fashionable, while the status of cameo glass gradually declined.

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