Lantern
Unknown Artist
ca. 1825
Medium
Tin
Dimensions
H. 17 in. (43.2 cm)
Classification
Lantern
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Robert W. de Forest, 1933
Accession Number
34.100.189
Art Historical Context
Step into the warm flicker of early 19th-century American life with this elegant tin lantern, crafted around 1825 by an unknown. Standing at 17 tall, it exemplifies the practical beauty of vernacular design from a time when reliable lighting was essential for homes, workshops, and travel—long before electricity illuminated the world. Displayed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, this captures the ingenuity of everyday Americans navigating the young republic's expanding frontiers. Tin, a favored medium for such utilitarian objects, was prized for its affordability, malleability,...