Vase

Art Historical Context

This elegant blown-glass vase, crafted by the New England Glass Company 1886 and 1888, exemplifies the pinnacle of late 19th-century Americanmaking. Produced in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by one of the nation's leading manufacturers, the vase stands just 4½ inches tall boasts an impressive 9¾-inch diameter, suggesting a low, wide form ideal for displays or as a decorative centerpiece. Its in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art highlights its in showcasing everyday luxury from Gilded Age America. The blown-glass technique employed here—molten glass gathered on a blowpipe, inflated, and meticulously shaped while hot—demanded exceptional skill and precision, allowing for fluid, organic forms that captured the era's Aesthetic Movement influences. New England Glass Company, founded in 1818, pioneered innovations in color and pattern, competing with European imports and elevating American craftsmanship. This piece, donated in 1946 by Mrs. Emily Winthrop Miles, reflects the growing appreciation for domestic decorative arts during a time of industrial expansion. As a snapshot of pre-industrial decline (the company reorganized as Libbey Glass in 1888), the vase underscores America's transition from artisanal workshops to mass production, making it a cherished artifact of cultural refinement. Visitors will appreciate its subtle sheen and proportions, evoking the opulence of Victorian parlors.

About the Artist

New England Glass Company · 1818–1888

**The New England Glass Company: Pioneers of American Flint Glass** The New England Glass Company was established on February 16, 1818, in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, by a quartet of prominent local businessmen: Amos Binney, Edmund Munroe, Daniel Hastings, and Deming Jarves. Jarves, drawing on his dry goods background and talent for recruiting Europe's finest cutters, served as operational man...