Ruby Compote
Manufacturer
Unknown
CultureEnglish
Dateca. 1850
MediumBlown and cut glass
DimensionsOverall: 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm)
Overall, Rim: 11 in. (27.9 cm)
Base: 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm)
Overall, Rim: 11 in. (27.9 cm)
Base: 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm)
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.5384
On View
Not on viewLabel TextTRADITIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP SPELLS QUALITY The objects in this case present some of the techniques used to decorate glass. Despite the new mechanization of the glassmaking process, the large majority of table and decorative glassware made in Victorian Britain was still created by hand. Skilled artisans such as glassblowers, cutters, and engravers worked individual pieces of glass to satisfy a broad range of customers and their individualized tastes. Manufacturers marketed to the growing number of middle-class consumers via trade catalogs, retail shops, and international expositions. Customers were able to choose from a rich assortment of useful household items such as plates, finger bowls, compotes, decanters, and wine glasses. Demand for glass that was purely decorative was also on the rise by the late 1800s. As Britain became a wealthier nation, many of her middle- and upper-class citizens had disposable income to spend on stylish objects to decorate their homes. English Ruby Compote, ca. 1850 Blown and cut glass Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.5384 Exhibition History"Cheers to Queen Victoria: British Glass from the Chrysler Collection," Waitzer Community Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, September 22, 2010 - March 20, 2011.
Boston & Sandwich Glass Co.