Bottle 1815 - 1840

This bottle, made by an anonymous artist, reminds us that even the most functional of objects can be compelling when you consider how it was brought into being. Made of glass, the bottle was likely formed using a combination of blowing and molding techniques. Molten glass would have been inflated into a bubble, then shaped either freely or within a mold to achieve its distinctive form. Look closely, and you can see subtle imperfections in the surface of the glass, traces of its making. The color, too, is telling; the green tint comes from iron impurities in the sand used to make the glass. Glassblowing, in particular, has a long and complex history, balancing mechanization with individual skill. In its time, this bottle would have been an everyday object, yet even then, the skill involved in its manufacture would have been a valued commodity. It serves as a reminder that behind every object, there is a story of labor, skill, and human ingenuity.