Decanter 1820 - 1835

This decanter was made in Pittsburgh by Bakewell, Page & Bakewell, and like other examples of early American glass, it’s an impressive synthesis of handcraft and industry. The piece was made by blowing molten glass into a mold to achieve its basic shape. Then, the surface was cut with rotating wheels, fed with abrasive grit to create its crisp facets and sharp edges. If you look closely, you can see a beautiful geometry of wedge cuts, radiating up from the base. This division of labor -- between the glassblower and the glass cutter -- was typical of the period. Each required specialized skills. It also reflects an increasing emphasis on production and a desire to create luxury items like this one, more efficiently and at a large scale. While this decanter may seem far removed from today's world, it actually prefigures our own time, when industrial processes and handcraft are closely intertwined, and when the boundary between design, craft, and art is more blurred than ever.