Product Description
This limited edition Gunpowder Incident 250th Anniversary Commemorative Flask is made in the USA exclusively for Colonial Williamsburg retail stores by master glass artist Phil Gilson. This Colonial Williamsburg 250th anniversary souvenir is a great gift and addition to your collection. Grab yours before they sell out!
Join us for a free special event on April 18, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. on the courthouse steps as we re-enact the events of the Gunpowder Plot.
Features
- Gunpowder Incident 250th Anniversary Souvenir
- Limited edition flask
- Light cobalt blue color
- The front side includes the text "The Gunpowder Incident of 1775"
- The reverse side has a picture of the Powder Magazine
- Measures approximately 6"H x 4.25"W x 1.75"D (this is a handmade item - exact dimensions may vary)
- Made in USA
- A Colonial Williamsburg retail shops exclusive!
Please note: The reversed 7s are not a mistake. The artist intentionally reversed them based on an original flask from the 18th century in his collection. See photos for reference.
Sold online and at the Prentis store in the Historic Area.
Inspiration
The Magazine at Colonial Williamsburg was constructed in 1715 as a storage facility for arms and ammunition dispatched from London for the defense of the Colony. In April of 1775, it also was the site of a historically consequential dispute known as the Gunpowder Incident. This confrontation between Virginia’s last Royal Governor, John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, and a militia led by Patrick Henry became a pivotal moment for the American Revolution. Join us for a re-enactment of this event on April
About the Artist
Phil Gilson might be the last colonial American-style glassblower working full-time in the traditions developed in the 18th Century. A cousin of the Wistars, owners of America's first successful glass operation, Gilson's craft is not only a passion but a family legacy since the 1730s.
Gilson focuses most of his work on producing and perpetuating designs for historic homes, museums, schools, and the living history and re-enacting community. He makes many pieces using original molds and hand tools handed down for generations.
Gilson is the last of two known master chippers in the country. Chipping is the trade of carving directly into cast-iron glass molds to re-create embossed bottles and flasks of the past. The custom carvings enable Gilson to produce modern commemorative interpretations by placing interchangeable inserts in antique molds.
His work includes custom free-blown, pressed glass, and dip-molded pieces. All of his work is made in well-documented historical bottle-glass colors.
Early American Life magazine's esteemed directory of Traditional American Crafts includes Phil Gilson as a member.
