GI-112 Kossuth Large Frigate Portrait Calabash Flask

Provenance: Anonymous

Louis Kossuth (Lajos in Hungarian), considered the Father of Hungarian Democracy, was a nobleman, lawyer, journalist, politician, statesman, and Governor-President of the Kingdom of Hungary during the revolution of 1848–49. He was famous for his oratory powers and for leading a successful revolution in Hungary in their struggle for independence from Austria. He saw both extraordinary success and abject failure in his struggle against the entrenched power of monarchs.

Kossuth, fleeing arrest, came to the United States in 1851, to a hero’s welcome as a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy in Europe. The influential contemporary American journalist Horace Greeley said of Kossuth, “Among the orators, patriots, statesmen, exiles, he has, living or dead, no superior.” Kossuth’s powerful American speeches so impressed the populace that he was immortalized and commemorated in many ways such as on this glass calabash flask, so-called after a melon gourd.

The obverse side of our museum flask depicts an embossed frontal bust of Louis Kossuth from the waist up between two furled flags on each side. He is in uniform wearing a plumed hat. The words ‘LOUIS KOSSUTH’ are embossed in a tight arch over Kossuth’s head.

The reverse of the flask pictures a large embossed frigate sailing left with flags flying. The frigate has a large wheel on the side and is sailing on the water. Beneath the waves are three embossed lines reading ‘U. S. STEAM FRIGATE MISSISSIPPI S. HUFFSEY.’ On the upper arc of the casing of the wide wheel paddle is embossed ‘S. HUFFSEY’. Embossed on the base are three lines reading ‘PH. DOFLEIN’ (1st line arch), ‘MOULD MAKER’ (2nd line horizontal), and ‘NTH. 5t St. 84’ (3rd line concave arch). The two last ‘t’s’ are raised and underlined. The base is also pontiled and the mouth is applied.

The flask was produced circa 1850 to 1860 at the Millford or South Jersey Glass Works in Millford, New Jersey, or Isabella Glass Works in New Brooklyn, New Jersey. Note that Millford was later spelled Milford.

Known colors are aqua which is common. Pale green and light green are considered scarce. Emerald green, yellow-green, blue-green, light golden amber, brilliant amber, light amber (greenish tone), dark golden amber, dark amber, and dark olive green are considered rare.

The mold maker was Philip Doflein and the flask was produced for a bottle distributor named Samuel Huffsey in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The USS Mississippi was a paddle frigate, commissioned on December 22, 1841. It was named after the Mississippi River and Matthew Perry personally supervised the construction.

Primary Image: The Louis Kossuth and Bust – U.S. Steam Frigate Mississippi Calabash Flask imaged by the FOHBC Virtual Museum Midwest studio by Alan DeMaison.

Support: Reference to American Bottles and Flasks and Their Ancestry by Helen McKearin and Kenneth M. Wilson, Crown Publishers Inc., New York, 1978.

Support Image: Prinzhofer, August, “Kossuth” (1849). Prints, Drawings, and Watercolors from the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection. Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.

Support Images: Auction Lot 100: “Louis Kossuth” and Bust – “U.S. Steam Frigate / Mississippi / S. Huffsey” and Frigate Portrait Calabash Flask, possibly Isabella Glass Works, New Brooklyn, New Jersey, 1845-1860. Brilliant grass green, applied heavy round collared mouth – pontil scarred base which is embossed “PH. Doflein / Mould Maker / Nth 5t St 84”, quart. GI-112 Extremely bubbly. Detailed mold impression. Fine condition. – Norman Heckler, Norman C. Heckler Auctions

Support Images: Auction Lot 19: “Louis Kossuth” and Bust – “U.S. Steam Frigate / Mississippi / S. Huffsey” Below Steam Ship Historical Calabash Flask, probably a New Jersey glasshouse, 1845-1860. Brilliant light yellow-amber with an olive tone, applied heavy collared mouth – iron pontil mark, quart; (light exterior high point wear, 1/4 inch star crack near medial rib). GI-112 Strong embossing and fantastic color. Property of The Strong, sold to benefit the museum’s collections fund. – Norman Heckler, Norman C. Heckler Auctions

Support Images: Auction Lot 16: “Louis Kossuth.” and Bust – “U.S. Steam Frigate / Mississippi / S. Huffsey” And Frigate Portrait Calabash Flask, possibly Isabella Glass Works, New Brooklyn, New Jersey, 1845-1860. Brilliant medium bluish-green, applied sloping collared mouth – iron pontil mark, quart; (a 1-inch crack closely follows the top of the paddle wheel). GI-112 Beautiful, rare color. Damage is hard to find. – Norman Heckler, Norman C. Heckler Auctions

Support Images: Auction Lot 27: “Louis Kossuth” and Bust – “U.S. Steam Frigate / Mississippi / S. Huffsey” And Frigate Portrait Calabash Flask, possibly Isabella Glass Works, New Brooklyn, New Jersey, 1845-1860. Aquamarine, applied double collared mouth – open pontil scar, quart; (minor high point wear). GI-112 Strong mold impression and fine condition. – Norman Heckler, Norman C. Heckler Auctions

Support Image: “LOUIS KOSSUTH” / BUST OF KOSSUTH – STEAM FRIGATE / “U.S. STEAM FRIGATE / MISSISSIPPI / S. HUFFSEY” Historical Calabash, probably Milford Glass Works, Milford, NJ, 1852 – 1860. Golden yellow, applied blob collar – “PH. DOFLEIN / MOULD MAKER / NTH 5! ST 84″ (on base), iron pontil, Qt; (an open bubble, approx. ¼” x 1″, near the side of the flask, and a touch of light exterior wear, otherwise excellent). GI-112. Gorgeous, striking color! – Jim Hagenbuch, Glass Works Auctions

Support Image: Auction Lot 114: “LOUIS KOSSUTH” / BUST OF KOSSUTH – FRIGATE / “U.S. STEAM FRIGATE / MISSISSIPPI / S. HUFFSEY”, (GI-112), made for Samuel Huffsey, blown at a South Jersey Glass Works, ca. 1855 – 1865, dark olive green calabash, “PH DOFLEIN MOULD MAKER NTH 5T ST 84” on base, open pontil, applied tapered collar mouth. Perfect condition, extremely bold impression and no trace of wear. Examples exist in various shades of olive green, but none approach being as dark in density of color as this one! Ex. Fred Weck Collection #25 – Jim Hagenbuch, Glass Works Auctions, Auction #149

Support Image: Auction Lot 1: “LOUIS KOSSUTH” / BUST OF KOSSUTH – FRIGATE / “U.S. STEAM FRIGATE / MISSISSIPPI / S. HUFFSEY”, (GI-112), made for Samuel Huffsey, blown at a South Jersey Glass Works, ca. 1850 – 1853, yellowish ‘old’ amber calabash, “PH DOFLEIN MOULD MAKER NTH 5T ST 84” on base, open pontil, applied tapered collar mouth. About perfect. An exceptional example, full of trapped air bubbles and sand grain impurities. This is the first of three being offered in this mould, all in rarely seen colors! – Jim Hagenbuch, Glass Works Auctions, Auction #166

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