Cake Plate

Art Historical Context

This elegant Cake Plate, crafted by the American glassmakers Adams and Company between 1870 and 1890, exemplifies the ingenuity of late 19th-century pressed glass production. Made from vibrant yellow glass, it measures 6½ inches high and 10 inches diameter, perfect for serving confections at Victorian-era gatherings. The pressed glass technique—molten glass forced into detailed molds under pressure—allowed for affordable yet sophisticated tableware that mimicked the luxury of hand-cut crystal, making beauty accessible to the growing middle class. Housed in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this piece reflects the industrial optimism of post-Civil War America, when companies like Adams and Company revolutionized domestic goods. Pressed glass flourished during this period, blending functionality with decorative flair, and yellow hues were prized for their warm, sunny appeal on dining tables. Donated in 1946 by Mrs. Emily Winthrop Miles, it preserves a slice of everyday elegance from Gilded Age households. Today, visitors can appreciate how such objects democratized style, turning ordinary meals into occasions and highlighting American innovation in decorative arts.

About the Artist

Adams and Company

Adams and Company was an American pressed glass manufacturer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whose products exemplify the ingenuity and industrial ambition of Gilded Age glassmaking in the United States. The firm traces its origins to Adams, Mackin & Co., established in Pittsburgh in 1851; by 1861 it had reorganized as Adams and Company, operating under that name through 1891, when it became Fa...