Bottle

Art Historical Context

This exquisite little bottle, standing just 4¼ inches tall, hails from early 19th-century America (1800–1820) and exemplifies the ingenuity of the nation's burgeoning glassmaking tradition. Crafted by an unknown artist, it in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art a gift from Frederick W. Hunter 1914. Though small, its form speaks to the practical elegance of everyday household objects during the Federal period, when American artisans drew inspiration from European techniques while adapting them to local resources. The bottle's medium—blown pattern-molded lead glass—is a highligh...