Cup plate
1848–49
Medium
Pressed glass
Dimensions
Diam.: 8.7 cm (3 7/16 in.)
Classification
plate (general, dish)
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
83036
Art Historical Context
This delicate cup plate, crafted by the American glassmakers Sampson, Lindley & Co. between 1848 and 1849, exemplifies the ingenuity of mid-19th-century pressed glass production. Measuring just 3 7/16 inches in diameter, it belongs to the Arts of the Americas collection at the Art Institute of Chicago. Cup plates like this one were everyday essentials in Victorian households, designed to cradle hot teacups or coffee cups between sips, safeguarding tabletops from stains and heat while adding a touch of elegance to the table. Pressed glass, the innovative medium here, revolutionized American ma...