Glass Boat on Chocks

Manufacturer

• Primary Manufacturer: New England Glass Company (NEGC), East Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• The Whitney Connection: Henry Whitney (along with Henry Whitney Jr.) was a long-time agent and supervisor at the New England Glass Company. During the late 1860s and 1870s, Whitney patented several pressed-glass novelties, candlesticks, and inkstand designs that were manufactured directly at the East Cambridge works—including his 1869 siphon inkwell and this 1870 boat design.
• Museum & Collector Reference: In major institutional collections (such as the Chrysler Museum of Art), this specific piece is formally cataloged as the “Boat on Chocks” Inkwell, dated August 9, 1870, manufactured by the New England Glass Company.

Description & Specifications

• Form & Structure: Modeled as a small rowboat or ship’s lifeboat resting on two transverse dry-dock cradles (“chocks”). The mold includes realistic nautical details, featuring an integrated keel, stern rudder post, and gunwales.
• Dual Functionality:
  • Ink Reservoir: A raised cylindrical well is molded directly into the center of the boat to hold the ink and collar.
  • Pen Tray: The open deck spaces fore and aft of the ink font serve as rests for dip pens.
• Cover Assembly: The collar and hinged cap are constructed from pewter or nickel-plated white metal. The lid displays a high-relief fouled anchor (an anchor entwined by a twisted hawser rope), centered against a fine diamond-point / cross-hatched background and framed by a rope-twist border.
• Markings: Pressings typically feature the embossed patent date, PAT’D AUG. 9. 1870 (or abbreviation), pressed into the glass along the inner sheer/deck rail.
• Dimensions: Approximately 5¼ to 5½ inches in length and 2 inches in width across the chocks.

Known Production Variations

• Clear Pressed Lead Glass: High-brilliance flint glass showcasing sharp mold seams and optical clarity.
• Plain Opaque White (Milk Glass): Pressed opal glass with an unadorned, porcelain-like satin finish.
• Polychrome Enamel Decorated (Milk Glass): Designed as higher-end decorative desk pieces featuring hand-painted botanical bouquets (roses, forget-me-nots, and foliage) along the hull sides, accented with bright enameled paint on the chocks (most commonly cobalt blue or iron-red) and gilded highlights along the gunwale rim.