Glass Cooler (Seau à verre ordinaire)
Medium
soft-paste porcelain with enamel and gilt decoration
Dimensions
h. 11.8 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Decorative Art and Design
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Mrs. Everett R. Castle
Accession Number
1972.180
Tags
gender unknown
About this artwork
In 18th-century France, wine was traditionally drunk chilled. This object would have held crushed ice or ice water to chill small bottles or glasses. Shifts in the strict dining protocol of 18th-century France under Louis XV meant that bottle coolers would have been placed within reach of the diners, rather than their traditional placement on the side board.