Antique Arts & Crafts Copper-Mounted Cobalt Blue Glass Sweet Jar, 1890s

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Deep cobalt blue glass bulges outward between vertical copper struts to form the body of this Arts and Crafts confectionery … Read more Deep cobalt blue glass bulges outward between vertical copper struts to form the body of this Arts and Crafts confectionery container. The vessel relies on a cage-blown construction, where molten glass was expanded directly into the hand-assembled framework, allowing soft lobes of glass to swell past the metal ribs. A broad riveted collar encircles the shoulder, matched by a stepped copper foot rim at the base. The copper collar is stamped in neat capital lettering with the word SWEETS, clearly indicating its original tabletop purpose. Surmounting the vessel is a fitted copper cover featuring tiered concentric rings turned into its surface, finished at the centre with an integral mushroom-shaped finial. When lifted, the lid reveals the plain spun interior surface and the dark, unobstructed well of the rich blue container within. Combining warm copper with intense cobalt glass reflects the design principles popularised in England during the early 1900s. Metal workshops of this era favoured visible rivets, rolled mouldings and contrasting materials over elaborate surface engraving, creating utilitarian tableware that celebrated honest construction and rich material colour. In size, the jar stands approximately 12 cm in total height to the top of the lid finial, with a bulbous width measuring close to 11 cm across the widest points of the protruding glass lobes. The piece functions effectively as a decorative covered pot, bonbonnière or cabinet display object. See less