Pocket flask
Unknown Artist
1820–40
Medium
Blown pattern-molded glass
Dimensions
H. 5 1/8 in. (13 cm)
Classification
Pocket flask
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1942
Accession Number
42.20.5
Art Historical Context
This charming pocket flask, crafted by an unknown American artist between 1820 and 1840, exemplifies the ingenuity of early 19th-century American glassmaking. Standing just 5 1/8 inches tall, it's a compact, portable vessel made from blown pattern-molded glass—a technique where molten glass is blown into a mold etched with ribs or patterns, then reheated and expanded to create a textured, iridescent surface. This method allowed artisans to produce affordable, decorative items at scale, blending functionality with subtle elegance. Produced during a boom in American glass production, particular...