Whale-oil lamp
Medium
Free-blown and pressed glass
Dimensions
H. 9 3/4 in. (24.8 cm)
Classification
Whale-oil lamp
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Dr. Michael Heidelberger, in memory of Nina T. Heidelberger, 1982
Accession Number
1982.439.7
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Step into the warm flicker of early American ingenuity with this whale-oil lamp, crafted by the Phoenix Glass Works in Connecticut, possibly with contributions from skilled artisan Thomas Cains, around 1830–40. Standing at a modest 9¾ inches tall, this piece from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing captures the everyday elegance of antebellum households, where whale oil—harvested from New England's booming whaling industry—provided essential illumination before gas or electric lights. The lamp showcases masterful glassmaking techniques of the era: free-blown glass for its fluid, hand-shaped body, allowing for organic forms, combined with pressed glass for precise, molded details like patterned bases or fonts. This hybrid method, innovative for the time, enabled mass production of affordable yet refined household goods, blending artistry with industrial efficiency at factories like Phoenix Glass Works. As a snapshot of American material culture, it highlights the nation's reliance on maritime resources and growing manufacturing prowess. Gifted to the Met in 1982 by Dr. Michael Heidelberger in memory of Nina T. Heidelberger, this lamp invites visitors to ponder the quiet glow of 19th-century life.
About the Artist
Phoenix Glass Works|Thomas Cains (American| ) · 1812 |1812 –1827 |1820
1812–27|active 1812–ca. 1820