ANTIQUE AMERICAN BRILLIANCE ICE TUB

Here is a great piece of historic American artisanship, an American Brilliant ice tub, 6½" tall, 6½" in diameter at the top and 5½" in diameter at the bottom. The pattern is magnificent, rich with finely wrought cuts and bevels. It is a remarkable sight, one that mere photographs do not adequately capture. The glass itself has the aurora borealis-like radiance which goes a long way toward explaining why American Brilliant cut glass came to rival the offering of European glassworks. This piece is in excellent condition.

According to a history of glass work, "When American manufacturers displayed their wares at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, their clear, bright, leaded glass garnered new respect when compared to glass exhibited from other countries. From that point on, American cut glass became extremely popular as a gift item and most mid-income to affluent households held at least a few pieces to grace their elegant tables."