Bread Plate
Unknown Artist
1870–90
Medium
Pressed glass
Dimensions
W. 13 in. (33 cm)
Classification
Bread plate
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Anonymous Gift, 1980
Accession Number
1980.462.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant bread plate, crafted from pressed glass around 1870–1890, exemplifies the artistry of American tableware during the Gilded Age. Measuring 13 inches wide, it features a grape motif—a popular Victorian decoration symbolizing abundance and the fruits of the land. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, this anonymous gift from 1980 offers a glimpse into everyday luxury for middle-class households. Pressed glass, the plate's medium, revolutionized American manufacturing in the late 19th century. Molten glass was poured into intricate metal molds and pressed under hi...