"Jumbo"/Elephant pattern covered compote on pedestal 1883 - 1885

The Canton Glass Company produced this glass compote, playfully surmounted by an elephant, in the late 19th century. In that period, the figure of the elephant was far from innocent. The most famous elephant in America, Jumbo, was a prized attraction at Barnum and Bailey’s circus. His tragic death in 1885 became a national sensation. We might see this compote as a piece of pop memorabilia, a response to the public mood. But what exactly was that mood? Jumbo’s presence in popular culture was testament to the way animals were treated in the name of entertainment. They were put on display, and treated as commodities. The glass compote, in its way, mirrors that logic, turning the animal into decoration. To understand the social life of this object more fully, we can turn to sources like newspaper archives, advertisements, and company records. These can reveal the complex intersection of art, commerce, and social values in a particular time and place.