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Dessert pyramid

Dessert pyramid
Glass
c. 1740-1780
Dessert pyramid
Dessert pyramid
Glass
c. 1740-1780
Dessert pyramid Glass c. 1740-1780
Status
Not on view
Label Text

In August 1759, George Washington received from London, "3 Salvers, 1 Top piece, 1 dozn Sullibub Glasses, 2 dozen Jellys, 1 dozen Sweet Meat ditto [glasses], [and] 2 dozn Baskets." Together, this glassware formed one of the most stunning centerpieces of the day - a pyramid of round glass salvers displaying a variety of specialized glass forms filled with tempting desserts. This mid-eighteenth century glass pyramid, similar in form to Washington's, demonstrates the alluring delicacy of the assemblage.

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Datec. 1740-1780
Geography Made - England
Medium/TechniqueGlass
DimensionsOverall: 6 5/8 in. x 9 1/4 in. x 9 1/4 in. (16.84 cm x 23.5 cm x 23.5 cm)
Credit LineGift: Jess and Grace Pavey Fund, 2002
Object numberM-4238
DescriptionGlass salver with nearly flat circular top with upturned and tooled rim; ribbed, inverted baluster stem with molded ribs and double collar at base; on domed and folded foot.

Published ReferencesCarol Borchert Cadou, The George Washington Collection: Fine and Decorative Arts at Mount Vernon (New York: Hudson Hills Press, 2006), 32.

Mount Vernon's object research is ongoing and information about this object is subject to change. For information on image use and reproductions, click here.
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