Plate

Art Historical Context

This delicate plate, crafted by Christian Dorflinger around 1856–85, exemplifies the finesse of 19th-century American glassmaking. Measuring just 7/8 inch high and 6 1/16 inches in diameter, it was fashioned from blown lead glass—a medium prized for its clarity, brilliance, and resonant "ring" when tapped. Dorflinger, an immigrant artisan from Alsace who became a leading figure in U.S. glass production, specialized in luxurious tableware that rivaled European imports, often supplying elite clients including the White House. The blown technique involved gathering molten glass on a blowpipe, shaping it with controlled breaths and tools, then adding lead oxide for superior sparkle and durability. This plate, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, reflects the post-Civil War boom in American decorative arts, when domestic factories like Dorflinger's in Pennsylvania asserted national craftsmanship amid industrialization. A gift from Mrs. Edwin M. Berol in 1978, it invites us to appreciate the subtle elegance of everyday luxury objects, highlighting how glass—once a rarity—became a canvas for American ingenuity and refinement.