Pitcher
Medium
Pressed purple marble glass
Dimensions
H. 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm); Diam. 5 7/8 in. (14.9 cm)
Classification
Pitcher
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Emily Winthrop Miles, 1946
Accession Number
46.140.683
Art Historical Context
This elegant pitcher, crafted by Challinor, Taylor and between 1870 and 1890, exemplifies the artistry of American pressed glass during the late Victorian era. Produced by the British firm but embraced in American households, it stands 9½ inches tall with a 5⅞-inch diameter, making it a practical yet decorative vessel for serving water or beverages at the table. Its striking purple marble glass—achieved through innovative pressing techniques that embedded color and veining—mimicked the luxury of natural amethyst or marble stone, democratizing opulence for middle-class homes. Pressed glass, a ...
About the Artist
Challinor, Taylor and Company · 1866–1891
Challinor, Taylor and Company was an American pressed glass manufacturer founded in 1866 and based in Tarentum, Pennsylvania, a community along the Allegheny River that was home to several of the nineteenth century's most innovative glassmakers. The firm operated until 1891, when it was absorbed into the United States Glass Company as Factory C — part of the great industrial consolidation that res...