Handkerchief bowl c. 1925 - 1930

This is a handkerchief bowl made by Steuben Glass Works, Inc. Sometime after 1903. During this period, glassmaking was both an industrial process and a medium for artistic expression, reflecting the shifting cultural values of the early 20th century. The bowl’s design evokes the fluidity and delicacy of fabric. Think about the handkerchief as an intimate object, often carried and used by women. This transforms the hard, manufactured glass into something soft and personal. The whiteness of the glass emphasizes purity and simplicity. Consider the gendered associations of domestic objects. Is the bowl’s design a celebration or a constraint? What alternative narratives might emerge when we consider the complex relationship between gender, labor, and artistry in early 20th-century design? This object invites us to reflect on the quiet tensions between industry and intimacy, mass production and personal expression.