Toothpick Holder
Medium
Blown overlay clear red, green and colorless glass
Dimensions
H. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm); Diam. 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm)
Classification
Toothpick holder
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Funds from various donors, 1967
Accession Number
67.7.21
Art Historical Context
This delicate toothpick holder, crafted by the Boston & Sandwich Company between 1830 and 1870, exemplifies the height of American glassmaking during early industrial era. Founded in 1825 on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the company a leading producer of innovative tablewares, blending functionality with ornamental flair. At just 2¼ inches tall and 2⅛ inches in diameter, this petite vessel would have graced Victorian dining tables, holding toothpicks for post-meal etiquette—a nod to emerging middle-class refinements in 19th-century America. The standout feature is its blown overlay technique, wher...
About the Artist
Boston & Sandwich Glass Company · 1825–1888
The Boston & Sandwich Glass Company, a pioneering force in American glassmaking, was established in 1825 in Sandwich, Massachusetts, by visionary entrepreneur Deming Jarves, who had honed his expertise as an agent for the New England Glass Company in Cambridge. Jarves built the factory on the banks of the Cape Cod Canal, incorporating it formally the following year with Boston investors. Drawing o...