Pepper Caster
Medium
Pressed yellow glass
Dimensions
H. 3 3/16 in. (8.1 cm)
Classification
Pepper caster
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Emily Winthrop Miles, 1946
Accession Number
46.140.562a, b
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, glassmaking flourished with industrial innovation, and the *Pepper Caster* Richards and Hartley Flint Glass Co. (ca. 1888) exemplifies this era's ingenuity. Crafted in pressed yellow glass, this table accessory—standing just 3 3/16 inches tall—served a practical purpose in Victorian dining rooms, dispensing pepper with elegant flair. Produced in Pittsburgh, a hub of flint glass manufacturing, it reflects the company's expertise in creating affordable yet refined household wares during the Gilded Age. The pressed glass technique was revolutionary: molten glass was for...
About the Artist
Richards and Hartley Flint Glass Co. · 1867–1890
**Richards & Hartley Flint Glass Co.** Nestled in the heart of Pittsburgh's thriving flint glass industry, Richards & Hartley Flint Glass Co. was established in 1865 as a partnership producing pressed tableware. Founded by Joseph Richards, William T. Hartley, and John Wilson, the firm leased property on Locust Street near Pride Street, capitalizing on the region's abundant natural gas and skilled...