Pocket bottle

Description

This pocket bottle, with its continental shape, molded decoration, and high-quality colored glass, exemplifies the combined German and English influences within Henry William Stiegel’s American Flint Glass factory. During the colonial period, there were few American-born glassmakers. Stiegel’s glass house employed exclusively German immigrants until 1769 when Stiegel hired five English workers. The Germans had been trained in making window glass and common wares of blown green bottle glass, while the English workers were brought on to produce luxury table wares in clear and colored glass.

Pocket bottle

American Flint Glass Manufactory

1769–74

Accession Number

89366

Medium

Pattern-molded blown glass

Dimensions

12.1 × 8.9 × 6.4 cm (4 3/4 × 3 1/2 × 2 1/2 in.)

Classification

flask (bottle)

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by James H. Donnelley, Marshall Field, Mrs. Henry K. Gardner, Village Associates of the Woman's Board, American Art Purchase Fund