Pair of Compotes

From the 1820s to the 1850s, richly cut glass was extremely fashionable due to the glittering effects of the facets. These ornamental, diamond-cut glass compotes would have been used on a sideboard or dining table during the period. New York City was the production center for high-quality decorative glass in the United States, and these glass compotes are representative of New York firms like Brooklyn Flint Glass Works, a company whose work received a silver medal at the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London. The exceptional quality of these compotes comes from the clarity of glass and the bold yet restrained design.