Flask

Art Historical Context

This elegant aquamarine flask, crafted by the Kentucky Glass Works between 1840 and 1860, exemplifies mid-19th-century American glassmaking ingenuity. Standing at 6 3/4 inches tall, it was free-blown and molded—a technique where molten glass was blown into an intricately carved mold to imprint patterns, then expanded freely for its final form. The vibrant aquamarine hue, derived from iron impurities in the glass, evokes the clear waters of Kentucky's rivers, where such factories thrived amid abundant sand and fuel resources. Adorned with patriotic eagle motifs—a nod to American symbolism duri...