Pair of Compotes
1851–57
Artist unknown (American, 19th century) New York
New York
From the 1820s to the 1850s, richly cut glass was extremely fashionable due to the glittering effects of the facets. These ornamental, diamond-cut glass compotes would have been used on a sideboard or dining table during the period. New York City was the production center for high-quality decorative glass in the United States, and these glass compotes are representative of New York firms like Brooklyn Flint Glass Works, a company whose work received a silver medal at the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London. The exceptional quality of these compotes comes from the clarity of glass and the bold yet restrained design.
Cut glass