In the early nineteenth century, it became more commonplace for Americans to consume water with meals. As a result, large glass pitchers became a prevalent form. This pitcher is ornamented on the lower body with a second gather of glass that has been manipulated into seven vertical peaks. In the early twentieth century, this type of ornament was dubbed “Lily Pad” and was commonly thought to have been made only in southern New Jersey. However, it is now known that this decoration was also used in New York and New England.

Related examples: Winterthur (Palmer 1993, p. 176, nos. 138–42); Toledo (Wilson 1994, pp. 142–44, nos. 124–28).

Book excerpt: David B. Warren, Michael K. Brown, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, and Emily Ballew Neff. American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection. Houston: Princeton Univ. Press, 1998