Cup plate 1830 - 1835

This small cup plate of pressed glass was produced by an anonymous maker. These once-common objects offer insights into shifting social practices and material culture. In the 19th century, tea and coffee were often served in handle-less cups. A cup plate provided a resting place for the cup between sips, preventing spills and stains. The pressed glass indicates mass production, reflecting industrialization and changing consumer habits. The floral and geometric motifs suggest a desire for elegance in everyday life, even in a humble object. Such details hint at the aspirations and values of the society that produced and used it. To fully understand this object, we can consult period household manuals, trade catalogs, and social histories. We can learn about how etiquette guided table manners, how glassmaking industries operated, and what meanings people attached to these objects. Examining such artifacts allows us to understand the social fabric of the past.