New photography by Shannon Ruff captured with a digital camera-2006.

Eagle and Grapevine Cup Plate

ManufacturerAttributed to Boston & Sandwich Glass Co. (American, 1826-1888)

CultureAmerican

Date1830s

MediumPressed lead-formula glass

DimensionsOverall: 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm)

Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number71.3987

On View

On view

DescriptionPlate of blue lacy glass. Eagle, leaves and a scroll on a stippled background. Fourteen scallops with points between for rim and an eagle in the center surrounded by dots and a circle of grapes and leaves. Rim crack.

Label TextAttributed to Boston & Sandwich Glass Co. Sandwich, Massachusetts Eagle and Grapevine Cup Plate, 1830s Pressed lead-formula glass Known as the “Hero of Two Worlds,” the Marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834) was a leader of both the American and French Revolutions. During his 1824 tour of the United States, Norfolk and other cities welcomed him with pageants and parades. This table and chairs, decorated with gilded classical designs and portraits of Lafayette, were probably commissioned for a banquet held in the general’s honor in Baltimore in October 1824. Like George Washington and the American eagle, Lafayette’s image was popular patriotic decoration for bottles, ceramics, and many everyday objects. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.3987 Published ReferencesRose & Lee, CUP PLATE, No. 665A, pg. 104, similar but larger; McKearin, AMERICAN GLASS, pl. 180, #13 (see small cup plate, identical design).