Paperweight
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
H. 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm); Diam. 3 3/16 in. (8.1 cm)
Classification
Paperweight
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Friends of the American Wing Fund, 1983
Accession Number
1983.245
Art Historical Context
This elegant glass paperweight, crafted around 1850 by William Leighton Sr. the New England Glass Company exemplifies the burgeoning artistry of mid-19th-century American glassmaking. Measuring just 2 1/8 inches high 3 3/16 inches in diameter its compact form was designed for practical use on Victorian desks, holding down papers amid the era's growing bureaucracy and literary pursuits. The New England Glass Company, founded 1818 in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, was a pioneer in producing high-quality blown and molded glass, rivaling European imports and fueling national pride in domestic craf...
About the Artist
William Leighton Sr.|New England Glass Company ( |American) · 1808 |1818 –1891 |1888
1808–1891|American, East Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1818–1888