Silver, Ceramics, & Glass
Learn More about the Collection
Silver, ceramics, pottery, and glass are a graceful mixture of utility and art. At the Maryland Center for History and Culture, this collection illuminates important makers, owners, and industry in Maryland.
Visit our Digital Collections to view a sampling of materials from the Silver, Ceramics, and Glass Collection.
Images: Majolica glazed fern stand with griffin support, c.1898, made by Edwin Bennett Pottery Company, 1973.112.29; Coffeepot (inset), c.1841, made by Samuel Kirk, 1942.7.4.
Items in the Collection
Silver
The Silver Collection includes over 4,000 pieces of holloware and flatware, including significant English silver and early pieces from colonial Maryland, and over 400 objects made by Samuel Kirk and his descendants.
Ceramics
The Ceramics Collection includes 1,500 examples of porcelain and pottery, including a notable French dinner service associated with Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte, Chinese Export porcelains made for and used by Marylanders, and a fine collection of Maryland-made redware and stoneware.
Glass
The Glass Collection includes over 400 examples of decorative and utilitarian glass made and used in Maryland, including rare examples created by John Frederick Amelung, founder of one of America’s earliest glassworks, and a remarkable collection of early-19th-century Anglo-Irish glass.
Your History Lives Here
Since 1844, we have collected, preserved, and interpreted Maryland's diverse history, art, and culture. Visit and see it at the Maryland Center for History and Culture.
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