Flask

Art Historical Context

This elegant amber glass flask, crafted by the Baltimore Works around 1840–50, mid-19th American glassmaking ingenuity. Produced during a era of industrial expansion in the States, flasks like this essential for carrying whiskey or spirits, reflecting everyday life regional pride. Baltimore Glass Works, a leading Maryland, specialized in such utilitarian yet decorative objects, contributing to the city's reputation a glassmaking hub. The flask free-blown molded technique is a highlight: molten glass blown into a patterned mold— featuring a corn motif,oking America's agrarian heartland and corn-basediskeys—then freely shaped for its slender,8⅝-inch form. The rich amber hue, through iron impurities in the glass, not only protected contents from light but added a warm, jewel-like glow. This method allowed mass production of intricate designs while retaining handmade charm. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, this piece from the 1939 bequest of Constance R. Brown offers a tangible link to antebellum craftsmanship, blending functionality with subtle artistry in early industrial America.