Inkwell

Art Historical Context

This delicate inkwell, crafted from lacy pressed blue glass between 1800 and 1900, exemplifies the ingenuity of 19th-century American glassmaking Standing just 1 7/8 inches tall with a 3 1/2-inch diameter, its petite form was designed for practical use on a writing desk, holding ink for quills during an era when letter-writing was a daily ritual. The "lacy" effect comes from a pioneering pressed glass technique, where molten glass forced into finely detailed molds, creating intricate, net-like patterns that mimicked expensive cut glass—at a fraction of the cost. This innovation, popularized by...