Flip Glass
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.3 x 24.5 cm (13 7/8 x 9 5/8 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.11183
Art Historical Context
"Flip Glass," created around 1940 by artist Raymond Neumann, is a meticulous rendering of a classic American vessel from the Index of American Design. This watercolor, graphite, and pen-and-ink work on paperboard captures the curves and sturdy form of a flip glass—a traditional mug used for serving "flip," a popular colonial-era cocktail made with beer, spirits, eggs, and sugar, heated with a red-hot poker. Measuring 35.3 x 24.5 cm, its precise details highlight the craftsmanship of early American glassmaking, evoking the everyday elegance of 18th- and 19th-century tavern life. As part of the...