Whimsey (Jacob's ladder ornament)

Description

Sometimes known as a Jacob's Ladder, this whimsical object was created by drawing out a long, tapering thread of glass into a series of rising, right-angle-cornered steps. The pinnacle (top) of the object is finished with a spherical knop. Although this example is in pale green glass, Jacob's ladders also were made in many different colors, as evidenced by archaeological evidence from the Philadelphia area. Possible manufacturers there include the Dyottville Glassworks and the Union Glassworks, though similar forms also are likely to have been produced elsewhere.