Hat stand
1855–75
Medium
Free-blown silvered glass
Dimensions
H. 11 in. (27.9 cm); Diam. 7 in. (17.8 cm)
Classification
Hat stand
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Richard T. Button, 1978
Accession Number
1978.505.3
Art Historical Context
Nestled in The American Wing of the Metropolitan of Art, this elegant *Hat Stand* from the New England Glass Company (5–75) exemplifies-19th-century American in decorative glassware. Standing 11 inches tall with a 7-inch diameter its free-blown silvered glass construction creates a shimmering, mirror-like surface that catches the light beautifully. Free-blowing allowed artisans to shape the molten glass by hand, producing fluid, organic forms without molds, while the silvering process—applying a thin layer of silver nitrate inside—mimicked costly silver objects at a fraction of the price. Cra...
About the Artist
New England Glass Company · 1818–1888
**The New England Glass Company: Pioneers of American Flint Glass** The New England Glass Company was established on February 16, 1818, in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, by a quartet of prominent local businessmen: Amos Binney, Edmund Munroe, Daniel Hastings, and Deming Jarves. Jarves, drawing on his dry goods background and talent for recruiting Europe's finest cutters, served as operational man...