Vase

Art Historical Context

This exquisite amethyst glass vase, between 1763 and 1774, captures the budding sophistication of colonial American craftsmanship. Standing a modest 6 3/4 inches (17.1 cm) tall, its vibrant purple hue—achieved through manganese impurities in the glass—glows with subtle elegance, making it a cherished example of everyday luxury in pre-Revolutionary households. The vase was fashioned using the blown pattern-molded technique, skilled process where molten glass is blown into a mold engraved with decorative patterns, imprinting textures like ribs or diamonds before further shaping. Popular in earl...