Saltcellar
Unknown Artist
ca. 1830
Medium
Lacy pressed glass
Dimensions
1 3/4 x 2 7/16 x 3 3/4 in. (4.4 x 6.2 x 9.5 cm)
Classification
Saltcellar
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Emily Winthrop Miles, 1946
Accession Number
46.140.348
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of 1830s American dining with this charming saltcellar, a masterpiece of everyday elegance. Crafted from lacy pressed glass, it measures just 1 3/4 x 2 7/16 x 3 3/4 inches, perfect for sprinkling salt at the table. The intricate "lace-like" pattern, formed by molten glass pressed into detailed molds, mimics the delicate filigree of fine lace or cut crystal—once the privilege of the elite. This technique revolutionized American glassmaking around 1830, pioneered by factories like those in New England. Press-molding allowed mass production of affordable, ornamental t...