Existing comment:
Sweeney Punch Bowl:
This is the original Sweeney Punch Bowl. For 74 years, this bowl sat on the grave of Michael Sweeney who, along with his brother Thomas, made it in 1844.
The bowl, or vase as the Sweeneys called it, was intended to show the abilities of the makers and the quality of Wheeling glass. At 4'10" tall and weighing 225 pounds, this remains one of the largest pieces of cut lead crystal ever made.
The Sweeney bowl was encased in Michael Sweeney's monument after his death in 1875. Michael and his brother, Thomas, were partners when the punch bowl was made, but they later separated because Thomas refused Michael a loan. The story goes that they never spoke to each other again. When Thomas visited his estranged brother's grave and saw the bowl, accompanied by an inscription claiming that Michael alone had manufactured it, he was beyond speech. |