Bottle

This object was once part of the folk art collection of Elie Nadelman (1882-1946), the avant-garde sculptor. From 1924 to 1934, Nadelman's collection was displayed in his Museum of Folk Arts, located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. The Historical Society purchased Nadelman's entire collection in 1937.

The shape and proportions of this spiral ribbed pinch bottle with pewter cap are associated with Northern European bottles made during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. According to George S. and Helen McKearin, who sold the Nadelmans a good deal of glass, this type was brought to America by settlers and imported as well. American pattern-molded glass was highly collectible when the Nadelmans were assembling the MFPA in the 1920s. Frederick William Hunter's 1914 publication "Stiegel Glass" had fueled interest in wares attributed to the German-born entrepreneur Henry William Stiegel, who operated a glassworks in Manheim, Pennsylvania, between 1764 and 1774.

Hunter optimistically attributed a large body of work to Stiegel, included pattern molded pitchers, salts and sugar bowls. The Nadelmans were somewhat cautious with their attributions, using terms such as "Stiegel type" or "supposedly Stiegel" in their cataloging. The Nadelmans likely displayed this European-made vessel in close proximity to its American counterparts to emphasize the influence of European traditions upon American glass production.