Cup plate
1826–30
Medium
Pressed glass
Dimensions
Diam.: 9.5 cm (3 3/4 in.)
Classification
plate (general, dish)
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
82695
Art Historical Context
This delicate cup plate, crafted in pressed glass between 1826 and 1830, exemplifies everyday elegance from early 19th-century America. Measuring just 3¾ inches in diameter, these small saucers were essential tableware, used to rest teacups or coffee cups between sips, safeguarding polished wooden surfaces from heat and moisture rings. Produced during a boom in American glassmaking, they reflect the growing middle class's desire for affordable, refined domestic goods. Pressed glass, a revolutionary technique pioneered in the 1820s, involved pouring molten glass into intricate metal molds and ...