Figured flask

Art Historical Context

This figured flask, created by Keene Glass Works between 1830 and 1840, offers a charming glimpse into early American glass production. Standing just 6½ inches tall, the piece was made using the blown-molded technique, in which molten glass was inflated inside a carved mold to capture detailed patterns. The resulting vessel carries lively images of horses and carts, reflecting everyday scenes familiar to Americans of the period. Blown-molded glass allowed workshops like Keene to produce decorative flasks efficiently and affordably, turning functional containers for liquids into small works of...