Dish

Boston & Sandwich Glass Company

1828–32 · Glass · The American Wing

America's greatest contribution to glassmaking technology was the invention of the glass press by which a vessel could be formed and decorated in one motion with the use of a mold and a plunger. In the earliest years, designers mimicked the geometric patterns on cut glass. Soon, they broke free of the limitations of those cut patterns with the new-found ability to introduce designs that would not have been technically possible in cut glass. This oval dish is a superb example of that critical moment. Rather than diamonds and squares, typical of cut patterns of the day, the dish features bold S-scrolls. The dish is also innovative in its background design of fine ribbing, which contributes to the overall brilliance.

Artist

Boston & Sandwich Glass Company

Date

1828–32

Medium

Glass

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Purchase, Linda H. Kaufman Gift, 2015