Bowl
Medium
Pressed purple marble glass
Dimensions
H. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm); Diam. 9 3/4 in. (24.8 cm)
Classification
Bowl
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Emily Winthrop Miles, 1946
Accession Number
46.140.692
Art Historical Context
This elegant bowl, crafted by Challinor, Taylor and Company 1870 and 1885, exemplifies the ingenuity of American glassmaking during the post-Civil War industrial boom Made of pressed purple marble—a technique that allowed for affordable, mass-produced pieces mimicking the luxury of hand-cut crystal—the bowl stands just 4½ inches high and 9¾ inches in diameter. Its vibrant purple hue, likely achieved through manganese impurities that deepen with sunlight exposure, and marbled texture evoke the natural beauty of agate or marble, blending functionality with subtle artistry. Pressed glass like th...
About the Artist
Challinor, Taylor and Company · 1866–1891
Challinor, Taylor and Company was an American pressed glass manufacturer founded in 1866 and based in Tarentum, Pennsylvania, a community along the Allegheny River that was home to several of the nineteenth century's most innovative glassmakers. The firm operated until 1891, when it was absorbed into the United States Glass Company as Factory C — part of the great industrial consolidation that res...