Tumbler

Overview Tumbler Attributed to Deming Jarves of the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company American ca. 1827 On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 774 This tumbler closely resembles the first pressed glass tumbler made in America. Made by Deming Jarves of the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company in 1827, it is now known only through a period illustration. Like the tumbler Jarves designed, this one is decorated with "eye and scale" and "pillar flute" patterns on its body and a star pattern on its base. Although it has the appearance of pressed glass, the tumbler was evidently pressure-blown. The pattern on the exterior is very crisply defined, while inside there is a slight shadow of the design detectable by touch. These characteristics suggest a blown technique rather than a pressed one. Pressure-blown glass in this style was manufactured in France as early as 1834; the technique is not presently known to have been used by American glassmakers. Lacking a documented example of the tumbler Jarves made in 1827 to compare, the American attribution of this piece is questionable. View more