Figured flask

Art Historical Context

This charming figured flask, crafted around 1824 by Knox and McKee the Virginia Green Glass Works captures a pivotal moment in early American history. Made of blown-molded glass, it just 7⅛ inches tall and likely features a portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette, the revered French hero of the American Revolution. in vibrant green glass—a hue typical of the era due to iron impurities the silica—the flask served as both a practical container for liquids and a patriotic souvenir. Lafayette's triumphant return tour of the United States in 1824–25 sparked widespread fervor, inspiring manufacturers like Knox and McKee to create these pictorial flasks. As one of the earliest American glass factories in Virginia, their work exemplifies the burgeoning decorative arts scene in the young republic, blending utility with national pride. Blown-molded glass allowed for intricate, three-dimensional details, revolutionizing flask production from simple shapes to elaborate figures. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, this piece from the bequest of Constance R. Brown highlights everyday artistry's role in commemorating heroes. Visitors today can appreciate how such modest objects fueled civic enthusiasm and American identity in the Jacksonian era.