Patriotic Bristol Glass Mug with Eagle
England, circa 1820 - Height: 5 inches
 
An elegant Bristol glass mug decorated with a Federal eagle, produced in England for the American market in the early nineteenth century. Finely enameled and delicately proportioned, the vessel reflects the enduring appeal of American national imagery in export wares of the postwar period, when the eagle had become one of the most recognizable emblems of the young republic.
 
Its balanced form is characteristic of Bristol glass made for export, while the enameled eagle adapts a familiar patriotic device to the American market with unusual refinement. Both decorative and functional, the mug is a handsome example of early nineteenth-century tableware shaped by transatlantic commerce and national taste.
 
Condition: Excellent.