Tumbler
after 1886
Medium
Pressed cranberry with opalescent glass
Dimensions
H. 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm)
Classification
Tumbler
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Emily Winthrop Miles, 1946
Accession Number
46.140.465
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum Art, this delicate *Tumbler* from Hobbs, Brockunier Company exemplifies the artistry of late 19th American glassmaking. Produced after 1886, the piece stands just 4 3/4 inches tall and showcases pressed cranberry glass with a stunning opalescent finish. The vibrant red hue of cranberry glass, achieved through gold impurities, shifts mesmerizingly under light, revealing iridescent blues and greens—a hallmark of Victorian-era innovation that brought luxury to everyday objects. Hobbs, Brockunier and Company, based in West Virginia, were pio...
About the Artist
Hobbs, Brockunier and Company · 1863–1891
**J. H. Hobbs, Brockunier and Company**, a pioneering American glass manufacturer, traces its origins to 1845 when John L. Hobbs and James B. Barnes, both former supervisory employees at the prestigious New England Glass Company in Massachusetts, leased the idle South Wheeling Glass Works in what is now Wheeling, West Virginia. After several reorganizations amid partner changes—including the addit...