Decanter

Details

Descriptive Terms

decanters
mold-blown glass
engraving (action)
glass (material)
Vessel, Drink Serving
Decanter
Decanter

Label

"Cherished Possessions": Irish glass was imported to America in huge quantities in the early years of the nineteenth century. This pair, with symbols of the new nation-an emblazoned eagle underneath a banner of “Liberty” on one side, and on the other, a banner with the misspelled motto, “American Independance”-would have been extremely fashionable. The decanters are initialed “N. G.” for Nancy Gay (1791-1873), of Gay's Island, Cushing, Maine. Located on the St. George River, Cushing was not quite the back of beyond in the early nineteenth century. Still, the area had few connections to the style centers that would account for the presence of goods as fashionable as these decanters.

Maker

Unknown

Dimensions

10 3/8 (H), 13 13/16 (diameter) (inches)

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. Sarah Norton McCullogh

Accession Number

1954.12AB