Hurricane Shade
Unknown Artist
ca. 1800
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
H. 20 3/4 in. (52.7 cm)
Classification
Hurricane shade
Culture
British or Irish
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Sylmaris Collection, Gift of George Coe Graves, 1930
Accession Number
30.120.349
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate **Hurricane Shade**, masterful example of early 19th-century glass from a British or Irish artisan, crafted around 1800. Standing at an elegant 20 3/4 inches tall, this luminous piece exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of the period, when hand-blown glass transformed everyday lighting into functional art. Its graceful, flared form—evoking the protective swirl of a hurricane—shielded oil lamp flames from drafts, ensuring steady illumination in draughty homes. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, this shade bridges transatlantic tastes, reflecting the...