Pan

Art Historical Context

Nestled in the Arts of the Americas collection at the Art Institute of Chicago, *Pan* is a delicate example of early 19th-century American glassmaking by the Mantua Glass Works. Crafted around 1825, this blown glass container stands just 13 cm (5 1/8 in.) tall, embodying the practical elegance of everyday objects transformed into art. Its modest scale suggests use as a small dish or serving pan, blending functionality with the subtle beauty of handcrafted glass. The blown glass technique, a hallmark of the period, involved gathering molten glass on a blowpipe, inflating it into shape, and met...