Gillinder & Sons

As America’s population grew, many believed that westward expansion was inevitable and sanctioned by God, a concept known as Manifest Destiny. This dish, created in celebration of both expansion and the natural bounty of America, offers an ironic portrayal of history. American Indians, like the one kneeling on top, were forced west as they were relocated to reservations, and increasingly industrialized production techniques were used to fashion the naturalistic scenes of log cabins, deer, and bison ornamenting the compote. Press molding—a revolutionary process invented by American glass manufactories, by which glass was forced into a mold via mechanization—effectively eliminated the human glassblower.