According to the accession records, this paperweight was manufactured by John L. Gilliland & Co. of Brooklyn, New York. Paul Hollister attributes it to the New England Glass Company of Cambridge, Massachusetts (see "Glass Paperweights of the New-York Historical Society," p. 117).

The bubbles and frit in the glass, possible chill marks on base, and weak handles suggest this might be a twentieth-century reproduction.

The glass that was used to make this bowl was also employed in the manufacture of windows because the brilliant, deep aquamarine color would not have been noticeable in thinly blown sheets of window glass. The applied decoration on the pitcher resembles lily pads. This type of ornament, which is unknown on earlier European glasses, is considered to be an American innovation. Because glassmakers moved frequently, it is often impossible to determine precisely where such tablewares were produced. The pitcher may have been made as a gift for the family or a close friend of the glassmaker. Until recently, glassworkers in America and Europe were permitted to use factory glass to fashion objects on their own time at no cost. These "end-of-day" creations are some of the most fanciful objects made in American glasshouses. The lack of wear on the base of this piece suggests that it may be a twentieth-century reproduction.

Most 18th- and 19th-century sugar bowls have applied bases, unlike this example, which suggests that it may be a later reproduction.