Sherry Glass 1885 - 1888

Curator: Oh, this sherry glass—it practically hums with delicate tension. Look at that lean stem and the way the rose madder bleeds into a whispered gold! Editor: This exquisite piece is attributed to the New England Glass Company, made sometime between 1885 and 1888. It's currently part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. One wonders about the socio-economic context of this glassware and the type of consumer for whom these products are meant. Curator: Makes me want to swish something potent and giggle! But you know, beyond the craftsmanship, it’s the quiet aspiration baked into the glass, like a bygone dream. Were glasses like this attainable only to the rich, or did everyone want a small jewel on their table? Editor: Absolutely, access to luxury items tells you a lot about society. New England Glass Company, as it shifted its production towards colored glass during that period, catered to both upper- and middle-class markets eager to acquire objects displaying the rise of industrial production. The design would have certainly signaled something about aspiration and cultural identity for its owners. Curator: It feels... very American to me in some peculiar way. Practicality meeting aspiration—and color! Something very hopeful in its transparency and elegance. Editor: Glassware companies like New England Glass took direct cues from European, and specifically Venetian design but translated that aesthetic ideal for an expanding, increasingly competitive US market eager to compete in industry and arts with its European counterparts. This form suggests aspirations to tradition in a quickly changing world. Curator: What would you drink from it today? Anything feels almost… sacrilegious. Editor: Context is key, but honestly, a sparkling cider sounds fitting. How lovely! It manages to be both functional and something close to a fragile spell, captured. It’s a joy to get a peek. Curator: Agreed, and sometimes a sip of the past helps us remember the future we’re building.