Creamer

Art Historical Context

This delicate creamer, crafted by the Mount Washington Glass Company around 1884–87, exemplifies the artistry of late 19th-century American glassmaking. Standing just 4 5/8 inches tall, it was fashioned from blown glass—a technique where molten glass is on a blowpipe and shaped by skilled inflation and tooling. This method allowed for the fluid, elegant forms prized in Victorian-era tableware, making pieces like this both functional and decorative for serving cream in affluent households. Mount Washington Glass Company, based in New England, was a leading innovator during America's Gilded Age, producing luxurious glass objects that reflected growing industrial prowess and consumer demand for beauty in everyday items. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, this creamer highlights the era's fusion of craftsmanship and mass production, bridging handmade traditions with emerging factory techniques. A gift to the Museum in 1946 from Mrs. Emily Winthrop Miles, it offers a glimpse into American cultural refinement, where even humble serving pieces embodied sophistication and national pride in decorative arts. Visitors can appreciate how such objects graced dining tables, elevating the ritual of tea or coffee.