Beker met een geïncrusteerd portret van Jan van Speijk after 1831

This glass beaker, likely made in the nineteenth century by an anonymous maker, features an embedded portrait of Jan van Speijk. The clear glass has been carefully molded or cut to create a faceted, almost architectural surface. This technique would have required considerable skill, as glass is a challenging material to work. The embedded portrait of Jan van Speijk, a Dutch naval hero, adds a commemorative aspect to this drinking vessel. It would have involved a separate process of production, possibly using a mold into which molten glass was pressed. This object reflects a time when glassmaking was becoming more industrialized, yet still retained a connection to handcraft. The combination of molded elements with hand-finished details speaks to a transitional moment in the history of design and manufacturing. It reminds us that even everyday objects carry layers of cultural and technological meaning.