Bottle
1738–ca. 1777
Medium
Free-blown glass
Dimensions
H. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm)
Classification
Bottle
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Judith F. and William H. Hernstadt Gift, 1981
Accession Number
1981.83
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate bottle, crafted at the Wistarburgh Glassworks 1738 and around 1777, exemplifies American ingenuity in glass production. Founded by German immigrant Caspar Wistar near Philadelphia, the Wistarburgh factory was the first successful glasshouse in the American colonies, operating from 1739 until Wistar's death in 1752 and beyond under his heirs. Standing just 6½ inches tall, this free-blown glass vessel highlights the factory's role in fostering self-sufficiency during a time when most fine glassware was imported from Europe. Free-blowing, the technique used here, involved gathering...