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Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2015.
American Ballad Bowl
Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2015.
Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2015.

American Ballad Bowl

Designer George Thompson (American, 1913 - 1981)
Designer Sidney Biehler Waugh (American, 1904 - 1963)
Manufacturer Steuben Glass Works (American, 1903 - 2011)
Date1942
MediumBlown and engraved glass
Dimensions7 5/8 in. (19.4 cm)
Base: 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm)
Overall, Rim: 9 1/8 in. (23.2 cm)
ClassificationsGlass
Credit LineJoan Foy French Collection
Object number71.6027
Terms
  • Colorless
  • Corning, NY
Collections
On View
On view
Description"American Ballad Bowl"; clear; slightly tapering cylindrical bowl attached to thick plain round 1" high dome foot by 1.5" high solid wafer with 16 evenly spaced air bubbles. Engraved with 4 scenes around depicting American history. The first is "Exploration", with 3 men, one priest, one soldier and one explorer; the second is "Colonization" with 3 Pilgrim type figures (2 women and 1 man); the third is "Independence" with 3 men representing the signing of the Declaration of Independence; and the fourth is "Expansion", depicting a man and a woman driving a bull. Glass designed by George Thompson and engraving designed by Sidney Waugh. One of a group of 11 pieces which portray pioneering, history and settlement in the New World. Additional examples in collections of President Chung Hee Park of Korea, former Governor and Mrs. Meyner of New Jersey and Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Nugent (a 1966 wedding gift from members of the House of Representatives).

Label TextSidney Biehler Waugh, designer American, 1904–1963 George Louis Thompson, form designer American, 1913–1981 Steuben Glass, Inc. Corning, New York, 1933–58 American Ballad Bowl, 1942 Blown and engraved glass In the 1930s, Steuben Glass ceased producing ornate, vibrantly colorful objects and began making geometric forms in highly refractive colorless glass. They commissioned contemporary artists to create engraved decorations for these works, including sculptor Sidney Waugh, who was known for his public monuments. Featuring stylized Art Deco scenes of exploration, colonization, independence, and expansion, this compote and other works in the American Ballad series bridge the conservative tastes of Steuben’s wealthy clientele with the company’s desire to be recognized for innovative and accessible designs. Joan Foy French Collection 71.6027
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