Medium
Blue-cut-to-clear glass
Dimensions
Height: 4 in. (10.2 cm)
Classification
Cordial
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Cranshaw Corporation Gift, 2014
Accession Number
2014.626.7
Art Historical Context
This elegant cordial glass, crafted between 1850 and 1855 by the Brooklyn Flint Glass Company in association with Josephouvenel and Company, showcases the refined artistry of mid-nineteenth-century American glassmaking. Standing just four inches tall, the vessel was designed for serving cordials—small portions of sweetened liqueurs—at the table. Its striking blue-cut-to-clear technique involves layering colored glass over a clear base and meticulously cutting away portions to reveal intricate patterns beneath, creating a luminous play of light and depth. Such pieces highlight the growing soph...