Mantel Ornament

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Mantel Ornament

1810-1870

Artist/maker unknown, American

This blown-glass mantel decoration is comprised of a stand, similar in form to a candlestick, that serves as a support for the ornamental ball. Mantel ornaments were generally not offered in the production lines of most glass manufactories, but instead afforded the individual glassblower an outlet for experimenting with lively color combinations and innovative forms. Whimsical glass objects such as this, perhaps used as a decoration for a glassmaker's home or as a gift for a friend, are difficult to date, as their production remained a popular pastime for craftsmen throughout the nineteenth century. This example, one of a rare pair to have survived, illustrates the high skills of the bottle glassblower, exhibiting a charming sophistication in form, color selection, and dimension. Miriam E. Mucha, from Philadelphia Museum of Art: Handbook of the Collections (1995), p. 273.

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Object Details

Title:

Mantel Ornament

Date:

1810-1870

Artist:

Artist/maker unknown, American

Medium:

Non-lead glass (blue, aqua)

Dimensions:

9 1/4 × 4 15/16 inches (23.5 × 12.5 cm)

Classification:

Sculpture

Credit Line:

The George H. Lorimer Collection, 1953

Accession Number:

1953-29-111a,b

Geography:

Probably made in New Jersey, southern New Jersey, United States, North and Central America

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