Set of 8 Hand Pressed Glass Cup Plates "Ashumet"

This Set of 8 Historical Reproduction Cup Plates are made of clear glass. The inscription around the rim reads "Ashumet" across the top, with 8 different inscriptions across the bottom: "Plymouth Gentian", "Holly", "Barn Swallow", "Blue Flag", "Franklinia", "Lotus", "Barn Swallow", and "Lady Slipper". Each plate features an image illustrating the inscription. "Ashumet" refers to the Ashumet Holly Wildlife Sanctuary on Cape Cod south of Sandwich.  This is the only complete set we have of Ashumet cup plates.

Measuring 3.5" in diameter, these cup plates were commissioned from Pairpoint Glass by the Friends of Ashumet in 1981. Each was made by hand in the early to mid 1980s, using a glass press and hand carved pressing mold, following the same process used for cup plate production in the 19th century.

1825 - 2025 Bicentennial Celebration: in 2025 the Sandwich Historical Society is celebrating 200 years of glass making in Sandwich, by offering for sale a collection of vintage reproduction cup plates. Proceeds from cup plate sales go directly to fund the special events and services offered as part of our 2025 bi-centennial celebration. We thank you for your support of the Sandwich Historical Society and its Glass Museum! 

Glassmaking in Sandwich, MA, began in 1825 with the establishment of the Sandwich Glass Manufactory by Deming Jarves, a Boston entrepreneur. The factory was reincorporated in 1826 as the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company, and manufactured glassware until 1887.  

Cup Plates were commonly used in the early 19th century. Many early cups were handleless, with deep saucers.  The hot liquid was poured into the saucer and sipped from it.  A cup plate, usually in a matching pattern, was created to act as a coaster to hold the cup while the saucer was used. 

The earliest cup plates were decorated, hand-painted, and transfer earthenware, made in England's Staffordshire district in the early 1800s. However, by the mid-1830s and through the 1840s, glass cup plates gained favor. The Boston and Sandwich Glass Company was one of the first American glass manufacturers to make glass cup plates and produced them in large numbers throughout the 1880s. In 1974, Pairpoint Glass began issuing commissioned and collector edition cup plates. They were pressed in limited numbers and quickly became collectible.