Colonial silver in the american wing the metropolitan museum of art bulletin v.41 #1 summer 1983 by alfonse K

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Note DirectoWs of Untilthe turnof the centurythe finetradiXon was vittuallyunknown.Before colonialsilversmithing then,it was generallyassumedthatthe colonistshad importedtheirsilverfromabroad.JohnH. Buck,who from was curatorof metalworkat the Metropolitan 1906-1912, was the firstto documentin a major thatsilversmithsdidindeedworkin the publication Amencancolonies.Inhis bookOldPbS (1888)he describednot onlyEuropeanbutAmencansilver,althougheventhe 1903editionof thatpioneeringstudy Stoughtoncup,soon magnificent attributedHarvard's to be identifiedas the workof the AmericanJohn Threeyearslater,however, Coney,to anEnglishman. earlyAmencansilverwas the subjectof a special effiibitionat the Museumof FineArts, Boston,andin includednearlythreehundred 1909the Metropolitan pieces, manyof themcolonial,inanexhibitionheldas Celebration. partof the Hudson-Fulton Thefirstsilverobjectsto enterthe Metropolitan's collecfion,in the latenineteenthcentury,were examsuchas the very craftsmanship, ples of contemporary firstaccession,in 1877,of a largeTiffanyvase commissionedbyfriendsof WilliamCullenBryantforhis The earliestmajorgiftof colonial eighfiethbirthday. in 1924,whenCharlesAllen Museum the silvercameto amongthemrarepieces objects, fifty Munnbequeathed (fig. suchas the Coneyinkstand 38)-once calleda "tourde forceforits period."In 1933the Metropolitan receivedas a bequestthe collectionofJudgeAlphonso whohopedit woulddemonstratethat T. Clearwater,

in "beautyof lineand colonialsilverwas comparable to thatof Europeanorigin.The 97 workmanship" Europeanand512 Americanobjectsdatingfromthe seventeenthcenturyto about1820includedseveral uniquepiecesandsplendidexamplesof earlyNew York andBostonsilver(see forexamplefigs.23, 29). The Museum'spresentholdingsof Americansilvercompnse some ninehundredobjects,of whichnearlyfour hundredarefromthe colonialperiod. TheBulletin,byFrancesGruberSafford,Associate Curatorof AmericanDecorativeArts, clearlydemonstratesthatcolonialsilversmithsdevelopeda distinctive traditionof theirown.The exuberanceof American silver,its refinementof taste, andits accomplished executionarefullyexpressedin the varietyof forms andrangeof styles of the piecesillustratedon the followingpages.Vesselssuchas tankardsor teapots filledthe practicalneeds of the prosperingcolonists, whilevirtuosopieces suchas the regalinkstandandthe delicatelyvibrant,lacycakebasket(figs.67, 68) met the demandsof the moststyle-conscious.Keepingpace withEurope,Americansilversmithsworkedwitha rich of styles, fromthe rhyffimicopulenceof the vocabulary Baroqueto the simplegraceof the QueenAnneto the of the Rococo.The piecespubspritelywhimsicality lishedherearea tributeto the livelycreativityand consummateskillof these earlyAmericancraftsmen. Philippede Montebello Director

Summer 1983 Ihe Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 0026-1521) VolulneXLI,Nulnber1 (ISSN Museumof Art, FifthAvenueand82ndStreet,New York,N.Y.10028.Second-classpostage PublishedquarterlyX)1983by The Metropolitan $18.00a year.Singlecopies$4.75. Sentfreeto Museummembers.Four MailingOffices.Subscriptions paidat New York,N.Y.andAdditional fromUniversityMicrofilms313 N. FirstStreet,AnnArbor weeks'noticerequiredforchangeof address.Backissues availableon microfilm, yearlyvoiumesfromThe AyerCompany Michigan.VolumesI-XXVIII(1905-1942) availableas a clothboundreprintset or as individual Publishers,Inc., 99 MainStreet, Salem, N.H. 03079, or fromthe Museum,Box 700, MiddleVillage,N.Y. 11379. GeneralManagerof SheldanCollins,The JohnP. O'Neill.Editorin Chiefof the Bulletin:JoanHolt.AssociateEditor.JoannaEkman.Photography: Publications: Studio.Design:GeraldPryor. Museulnof Art Photograph Metropolitan On the cover: Rococo cream pot by BenjarninBurt (see fig. 60). Eside frontcover: Detail of the engravedlid of tan.kardfig. 29.

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1. Cherub'sheadfroma NewYorktankardmadeabout 1700-20byCorneliusKierstede.Bequestof Edward L. Clarkson,1929(29.139)

Duringthe colonialperiodthe silversmith,or goldsmithas he was oftencalled,rankedat the top of the hierarchyof craftsmenandhis workoften reflected Europeanstyles more quicklyand more closelythandidthe otherbranchesof the decorativearts. Muchmoreso thantoday,the possession of gold and silver objectswas the prerogativeof the style-consciouselite thatwantedarticlesin the latest fashion.As they hadin Europe,such items establishedstatus, and in a society where social standingwas determinedprimarilyby wealthand materialpossessionsthe silversmithearlyon found patronage.Forthe homehe madevessels forfood anddrinkthatnot onlyfilledpracticalfunctionsbut also were prominentlydisplayedas overt symbols of affluenceandposition.Forthe dailyuse of individualsof means,the silversmithprovideditemsof adornment countlessgoldandsilverbuttonsand bucklesas well as jewelry.For the more prosperous parisheshe fashionedcommunionsilver and baptismalbasins. As they beganto prosper,the colonistscarried on the OldWorldpracticeof convertingtheiraccumulatedwealth into plate, as solid-silverwares were thengenericallycalled.Thusin 1688William Fitzhughof Virginiawrote his agent in London: well "Fornowmybuildingsfinished,myplantations settled. . . & being sufficientlystored with goods of allsorts, I esteem it as wellpoliticas reputable, to furnishmy self with an handsomCupboardof platewhichgivesmy self the presentuse & Credit, is a sure friendat a dead lift, withoutmuchloss, or is a certainportionfora Childaftermy decease." Platecontinuedto be a strongindicatorof wealth andfamilyas well as a convenientformof investmentthroughoutthe colonialperiod.In 1770John decried"the Customary Woolmanof Philadelphia use of SilverVesselsabouthouses"by his prosperous Quakerbrethrenbecauseit clearlyrepresented "Outwardshow andgreatness."

2. This New Englandshilling,the earliest type coined in Massachusetts, must have been producedbetweenJune 10, 1652, when John Hulland Robert Sandersonwere appointed mintmasters, and October 19 of that year, when an order was passed to adopt a tree design. Two punches, one for the obverse and one for the reverse, seem to have been used ratherthan dies, and they were struck at opposite ends of the planchetso that one stamp wouldnot obliteratethe other. Diam. 11/sinches. Bequest of AlphonsoT. Clearwater,1933 (33.120.376) 3. Pine-tree shillingswere minted between 1667 and 1682, those producedthrough1674 havinga largerdiameterthan the later smaller,thicker,and more common ones. This example belongs to the earlier groupand was struck from dies thoughtto have been among the first of the manyused for shillingsin the pine-tree design. The smallerpine-tree denominations,such as the sixpence seen here, show few variations. Massachusetts coins were of the same standardbut of lesser weight thantheirEnglishequivalents. Diam. 13/16 inches; 3/4 inches. Bequest of AlphonsoT. Clearwater,1933 (33.120.377,380)

Silversmithsplayedan importantrole in colonial societybeyondthe fashioningof luxuryitems and, whennecessary,theconversionofsuchobjectsback intonegotiablesilverandgold.Theyalsofunctioned in a sense as bankers,servingthe practicalcommercialneeds of the community theymightsafeguardmoneyon depositor makeloans andsome silversmithsalso entered into business ventures. Working in the metalsof coinage,theycouldassess and,if needbe, assaythe diversecurrencyof varyingweightsandstandardsthatenteredthe colonies throughtrade. Most of the money in circulation was foreign:coinsfromSpanishcolonialmintspredominatedand mingledwith Dutch, French,Portuguese, Spanish,andof course Englishpieces. The confusioncreatedby this varietyof coins, some of whichwere worn, clippedat the edges, or counterfeit,andthe shortageof hardcurrency promptedthe MassachusettsGeneralCourtto establisha mint in Boston in 1652. New England's firstknownworkingsilversmiths,JohnHullin partnershipwithRobertSanderson,becamethe mintmasters,andthe earliestdatablesilveritem in the Museum'scollectionis a 1652 shillingfrom that mint (fig. 2). The first coins issued were irregularlycircularpieces of silver stampedon the obversewithNE for"NewEngland" andonthe reverse with Romannumeralsindicatingthe value. Three denominations were struck:twelvepence,or shilling;sixpence;andthreepence.The uneven,undecorated edges obviously invited the practice of clipping,or cuttingoff, of minutepieces of silver, andbeforethe end of 1652a lawwas passedordering "that henceforth all peices [sic] of n1ony Cojned.. . shallhavea doubleRingon eitherside, with this Inscription Massachusetts,and a tree in the Centeron the one side, and New England andthe yeere of our lordon the other side."The firsttree designwas a willow,followedby an oak, andthen a pinetree (fig. 3), of whichthe greatest numberof exampleshave survived.Allcoinsbore the date 1652 no matterwhen issued, except for the twopencepieces first struckin 1662. The Massachusettsmint,whichwas established withoutany legal authorityfromEngland,ceased operatingabout1682, but the coins, often known at the time as "NewEnglandmoney,"continuedin circulationinto the nineteenthcentury.No other coinswere officiallystruckinNorthAmericabefore the Revolution,althougha few smithsdidsuccumb

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to the temptationof counterfeiting.Silversmiths remainedinvolvedwiththe monetarysystem, however, even when papercurrencywas introduced: bothJohnConey,who engravedthe platesfor the papermoney printedin Massachusettsin 1702 alsoforthe 1690issue), andJeremiah (andprobably Dummer,who did those for Connecticutin 1709, were Boston silversmiths. ' , 08 { {Silverand gold arrivedin the coloniesthrough ? */ legalandillegaltrade.ShipsfromCentralandSouth Amencaladenwithbullionandcoinsandthose returningto EuropearoundAfricawithrichcargoes fromthe East Indieswere the targetsnot onlyof enemyprivateersbutalsoof pirates,andthe latter as wellas the formerhadconnectionswithAmericanports. In 1698 GovernorBellomont,writingto described the Lordsof Tradein London,indignantly New Yorkas "anest of Pirates."Amongthose he singledout in his reportsas engagingin the hugely commercewiththe piratesinMadagascar, profitable broughtto New Yorkquantia tradethatapparently gold"as wellas silver,was Captain ties of "Arabian Giles Shelley,whose tankardis shownin fig. 29. By traditionthe tankardwas given to him by the merchantswho financedhis tripto Madagascarin the shipNassau,presumablyrepresentedon the lid(see insidefrontcover).If, as reported,Shelley was ableto sell a two-shillinggallonof rumto the piratesfor fifty shillingsor more, the merchants couldwell affordto presenthimwith a handsome piece of plate. Coins,whatevertheirsource,andout-of-fashion or brokenarticlesgenerallyprovidedthe rawmaterialfromwhichthe silversmithmadenew objects. Oftenof variousstandards,the silverwas melted downandrefined,if necessary,so that the metal wouldhavethe propercontent.Pure silveris too softformostpracticalpurposes;copperwas therefore addedto make it harderand more durable. The proportionof silverto copperdeterminesthe qualityor standardof the metal.The Englishsterlingstandardfor coinageandobjectsalikewas set at 925 out of 1000 partssilver.Varyingstandards were used on the Continent:in Amsterdam,for instance,morethanone qualityof silverwas permitted,the firstbeingabovesterlingstandard,the secondbelow. In Europethe qualityof the metal and of the 4. Themarkonthe dramcupinfig. 8 is one of fiveusedby was supervisedby guilds.Beforean JohnConeyduringhis careerandis foundon manyof his worlunanship ear.ler pleces. objectcouldbe sold, it had to be broughtto the a

5. KnightLeverettstruckbotha markwithhisfullsurname andfirstinitialandhisshorterinitialmarkonthecasterinfig.44. 6., 7. Withits stylizedflowersset withinpanels,thistwohandledcupmadein Bostonabout1660-70 byRobertSanderson (1608-1693)andJohnHull(1624-1683)illustratesthe earliesttypeof chaseddesignsusedinNew England.It also showsthe earliestmannerof inscribing initials:the lettersEC, probably referringto the originalowner,andthe surrounding cartouchearesimplyprickedintothe surface(see detail). Engravedblockinitialswereintroduced towardthe endof the century,andthoseonthiscupmayhavebelongedto a member of the Mascarenefamily,whosecrestis engravedonthe underside.Thecup'slowsteppedfootis nowreinforced byan appliedband.W.withhandles51/2inches.LentbyMr.and Mrs.EricM. Wunsch(L.1979.134)

guildhall to be assayedand marked hence the term "hallmark." Englishsilverwas usuallystruck witha markindicatingthe standard,a townmark, a dateletterdenotingthe year,andthe markof the makerso that both silversmithand assayercould be identified. Guildswere never establishedin the colonies. Localordinancessuch as that passed by a Boston townmeetingin the 1670s, requiring"thatcarebe takenall ware made of pewter or silver whether broughtto the countrieor madehere. . . be of ye just alloy,"placedthe burdenof maintaining standardson the silversmiths.The "justalloy"for silver was the Englishsterlingstandardof purity,and it was generallyfollowedin the Americancolonies withoutthe supervisionof assay offices. Though he was not requiredto do so by law, the silversmithusuallystampedhis individualmarkon his workto identifyit as his and have it serve as his guarantyof quality."AndI herebycertify,thatI will warrantall Goldand Silverto be good, whichis markedwiththe followingstamp,viz. w H, by WilliamHoward,"advertisedone silversmithin Marylandin 1749. The silversmith'smarkin the seventeenthcenturyusuallyconsistedof his initialswithina shaped reserve that sometimescontainedadditionalsmall devices such as a pellet or a fleur-de-lis(fig. 4). In the eighteenthcenturyinitialswere moreoften set withina rectangleor oval, andby about1725, as silversmithsbecame more numerous,a mark withthe fullsurname,with or withoutfirstinitial, came into use (fig. 5). The silversmithcut his owndie andoftenemployedmorethanone die either simultaneouslyor consecutivelyduringhis worldnglife.The markwas struckbygivinga hammer blowto the die held againstthe silver. As in Europe,artisanswere trainedthroughthe apprenticeship system, in whicha youngmanusuallyspent seven years, between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one,leaInillgthe technicalskills and design traditionsof the craft. The earliest native-bornsilversmithswere taughttheir trade by immigrantcraftsmen.Thus in Boston, the first silversmithingcenter to develop, the craft was foundedbyRobertSanderson(1608-1693)andJohn Hull(1624-1683). Sandersonhadbeen trainedin Londonandso broughtto New Englandthe craftsmanshipof the Englishcapital.He arnvedin MassachusettsBay Colonyin 1638 but may not have

practicedhis callingin the New Worldmuchearlier than1652, whenhe formeda partnership withthe youngerHull,whose finalyears of traininghe had mostlikelyoverseen.Inthisshopweretaughtthree Sandersonsons and seven other apprentices,includingJeremiahDummerandJohnConey,who, withDummer'sapprenticeEdwardWinslow,dominatedBostonsilversmithing untilthe secondquarter of the eighteenthcentury. New York,or New Amsterdam,as it was called until1664, was the next centerto developas prosperity in that colonybegan to increaseafter the mid-century. InPhiladelphia, foundedonlyin 1682, silversmithswere established before 1700. Althoughsilversmithsweresoonalsoat workinother townsupanddownthe easternseaboard,the three leadingcities of Boston, New York,and Philadelphiaremainedthe majorcentersof silverproduction throughoutthe colonialperiod,for the tradeflourished primarilyin a thrivingurbanenvironment. Sincetherewereno guilds,colonialcraftsmenin all tradesreliedfor their success on a networkof farnilyandbusinessties. Intermarriage withinthe craftwas commonandmanyapprenticeswere related to their masters. The silversmithingtrade was wellregarded,andapprentices,recruitedfrom familiesof goodstanding,includedthe sonsof ministers, whorankedhighin colonialsociety.The leading silversmiths like Hull,who was activein the Atlantictradeandheld importantpublicoffices were oftenprominentmembersof the community withclose ties to the affluentmercantileclass. The willingnessof manymerchantsto patronizelocal smithsratherthanorderfromEuropewas central to the early floweringof this art and attested to the skillof the colonialsilversmithsandthe quality of theirwork. The successfulmerchantsin colonialAmerica, in close touch with Londonand other European cities, were intent on keepingup with the latest fashionsfromabroadandemulatingthe lifestyle of their Europeancounterparts.They thereforedemandedsilverthatwas up-to-date.Becausesilver is easilyportable,examplesof the lateststyle could reachthe coloniesin a short time, andthe silversmithswere ableto supplyobjectsthatrivaledthe imports.Silverwas thus in the vanguardof stylistictrendsandthe earliestof the artformsto flourish in the colonies. Seventeenth-century recordsindicatea surpris-

ingrichnessandvarietyof silverinuse inthe householdsof prominentmerchantsandministersfrom early on. The wealthof silver broughtto Boston in 1638 by the wife of the ReverendJose Glover, Elizabeth,widowedon her voyagefromEngland, includeda ewer andbasin,a sugarbox, a chafing dish, plates, and several salts, in additionto assorteddrinlingvessels andnumerousspoons, the whole described as "a faire and full cubbardof plate.. . as mightordinarily be seen in mostgentlemen'shouses in England." Duringthe second half of the centurylocallymadesilverjoinedthatfrom

abroadandthe amountof platelistedin household inventoriesof wealthycolonistssteadilyincreased. Unfortunately, one cannotdeterminefromprobate recordseitherthe rateat whichcolonialsilversupplantedthe Europeanas the craftbecameestablishedor the completerangeof formsmadeby the earliestAmericansmiths, since inventorieshardly ever indicatewhetheran articlewas producedlocallyor came fromabroad.(Indeedthey often do not itemizeindividualsilver objectsandgive only the totalweightandvalueof the plate.) The Americansilverthathas survivedfromthe

8. Thetwo-handled shallowdrinking bowlsabove,bothfrom about1680-1700,representregionalvariationsof a popular seventeenth-century form.Theplaindramcupinfront,made byJohnConey(1655/56-1722)of Bostonandprobably originallyownedbyRobertandSarahStoneof Salem,is of a type producedmainlyinNew England.Slightlylargerbowlsdivided intosix lobeswerefashionedonlyinNewYork.Theywere oftenchasedwithconventionalized designs,as is the oneby JacobBoelen(about1657-1729)withanthemion decoration showninback.The originof the tumbler-shaped cupon the rightby CorneliusVanderBurch(about1653-1699)is suggestedbythe engravedknottedwreath,a motiffoundon otherNewYorksilverof the late1600s.Front:Diam.3ll/l6 inches.GiftofRobertS.Grinnell,1970(1970.287.3).Back: Diam.43/8 inches.Bequestof AlphonsoT. Clearwater, 1933 (33.120.218).Right:Diam.2ll/l6inches.RogersFund,1950 (50.225)

firststylisticpenod before1690 presentsa more restncted picturethan that given in inventories. The most popularforms in use were spoons and drinldngvessels, andit is the lattercategory,often preservedin churches,thatnowexists inthe greatest number.Spoons,whichwerethe mostcommon, havehada poorsurvivalrate,andthe earliesttypes, of whichthe Metropolitanhas no examples, are rare. Otherkindsof articlesare trulyexceptional andare also unrepresentedin the collection.Thus the firststyle in Americansilveris illustratedhere by dr;nkingvessels. Oneof the earlyformswhose popularity didnot longoutlivethe seventeenthcenturywas the bulbous two-handledcup, often calleda caudlecup (fig. 6). Caudlewas a warm drinkmade usually of ale or wine mixed with eggs, breador gruel, sugar,and spices. Doubtlessthe cups were used forotherbeveragesas well,andin the nonconformist churches,whichutilizeddomesticformsin order to eschew anythingsmackingof popishpractice, they often served as communionvessels. The exampleshownhere, probablyof the 1660s, represents the earlieststyle of New Englandcaudlecup, whichfollowsthe formand decorationof English cupsof the mid-century. Withthe curveof the sides slight and the body wider than it is tall, the cup showsthe solidproportionstypicalof shapesof the period, which characteristically stand low to the ground.Althoughsmallin comparisonto some of the moreambitiouscupsmadelaterin the century, it has a firm, sure presence. As on manyEnglish cups, the lowersectionof the bodyis ornamented withchasing,whilethe upperis left plain.Here, as on other early examples,the decorationconsists of panelsenclosingconventionalized flowers;pebbling,or matting,adds textureto the ground.On ornamentedcups fromthe last two decadesof the centurythe foliatedesignaroundthe baseis usually free-flowingandmore naturalistic,whilethe body tends to be more emphaticallycurved. A varietyof othervessels, smallandlarge,were in use duringthe seventeenthcentury.The low, shallowdramcups for the tastingof smallquantities of wine or brandyalso have two handles,or "ears,"andtheir horizontalemphasisis typicalof seventeenth-century forms(fig.8, front).The earliest one knownhas chaseddecorationin panelssimilarto thaton the caudlecupin fig. 6, but virtually all dramcups that have survivedare plain.These

vessels, pnmarilymade in New England,passed out of favorduxingthe earlyeighteenthcentury.In NewYorka somewhatlargersix-lobeddrinlsing bowl, oftenornamentedwith chaseddesigns, was more common(fig.8, back).Seventeenth-century examples of the smallcupsvvithroundedbottomscalled tumblerssurviveonlyfromNew York(fig.8, nght). Amongthe largerforms designedto hold beverages were tall beakers (see fig. 14) and shorter versions,probablycalledwine cups or sometimes tuns, not shownhere. Also unrepresentedin the collectionis the cup on a balusterstem, the antecedent of the eighteenth-centuryexamplein fig. 40. Beakers and wine cups as well as tankards served both in the churchandin the home. Popularthroughoutthe colonialpenod, tankards were the largestof the drinkingvessels, andtheir capaciousbodieswere filledmost commonlyvvith generousdraughtsof beer.Theseventeenth-century style is illustratedhere by a Boston exampleof 1680-1700 that can holda fulltwo quarts(fig. 9). Witha broaddrumas wide at the bottomas it is highanda majesticcurvinghandlethatextendsall the way to the base, the tankardexhibitsthe imposingstrengthof seventeenth-century forms.Typical of tankardsof this penod are the narrowbase bandandthe low,stepped,overhanging lid,bothof whichreinforcethe horizontalweightof the mass. Otherearlystylisticelementsarethe double-cusped thumbpieceand the plain, shield-shapedhandle terminal. Not vvidelyproduced,spoutcupsare thoughtto havebeen used in the feedingof infantsandinvalids and were made in the coloniesfromthe late seventeenth to the mid-eighteenthcentury. An example(fig. 10) very likelydates bom the early 1700s, but its shape bespeaksa previouspenod. The globularbodyvvithstraightneck, whichin this casenscelyflaresout,is a seventeenth-century form, probablytraceableto sixteenth-centuryGerman stoneware.

9. Made byJohn Coney, probablythe most prolificand versatile of Boston's early silversmiths, this handsome tankardof 1680-1700 is notable for its robust form and the fine heraldicengravingrepresenting the arms of the Eyre family. On the underside are the initialsIEK,forJohn Eyre, active in business andin the affairsof the Massachusetts Bay Colony, andhis wife Kathenne (Brattle), who were marriedin 1680. H. 7 inches. Lent by Erving Pruyn (L.40. 36)

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The bodyof this shapelycup, like that of most colonialvessels, was made withouta seam from one piece of silver. It was raised that is, hammeredup froma diskof silverthathadbeen previouslyforgedfroman ingot. On the undersideis clearlyvisiblethe punchmarkthat indicatedthe center of the disk and allowedthe smithto measure to the edge of the sides with his calipersto checkthatthe formwas beinghammeredupevenly (fig. 11). The steppedlidwas raisedfromanother disk.Onthe otherhand,the spoutwas madefrom a sheet of silverthatwas cutto size, givenits tubularshape,andsolderedtogetherwherethe edges joined.The wide, hollowhandlesof tankardswere fonnedsimilarly froma flatouteranda roundedinner sectionseamedtogether.The body of a straightsided objectcouldalso be made by seaming,but this methodwas the exceptionduringthe colonial penod. Thoughsheets of silvermachine-rolled by flattingmills,whichobviatedthe need to hammer themout fromingots, mayhavebeen producedin the coloniesas early as the 1730s, they do not appearto havebeen readilyavailableor commonly used for hollowwareuntilthe end of the century. Morethanone techniquewent intothe fashioningof most objects.The handleandthe finialof the spoutcup,forinstance,were cast andsolderedon, as wasthe thumbpiece of the tankard infig.9. "Pairs of flasksfor casting"listedin inventonesof silversmiths'toolsandnewspaper advertisements forcastingsandindicatethe methodfrequentlyused inthe colonialpenod.The flaskswerefilledwiththe special castingsand and a patternimpressedin the sandby means of a model. The flaskswere then clampedtogetherandthe hollowfilledwithmolten silver. Before the cast parts were solderedinto place, roughsurfaceswere smoothedand details sharpenedup. Onareasthat sometimesremained untouched,suchas the innersideof a castfootnng, thepittingsleftbythe sandareveryvisible.Another processrequiredforthe completion of manyarticles was the makingof wireandmoldingson a drawing bench.Wirewas formedby pullinga taperedstnp of silverthroughsuccessivelysmallerholes of the desiredshape circular,oval,or square.Formoldings the stnp of silverwas drawnbetweensets of dies untilthe propercontourswere obtained.The tankardrests on an appliedmoldedbase band:a nng madeof a lengthof moldingthathas been solderedto the bottomof the piece.

10. MostknownAmericanspoutcupsareof New England origin.ThisrareNewYorkexample,madebyJacobBoelen probably inthe early1700s,hasa particularly broadandsquat formandthe uncommon featureof a capforthe spoutthatis attachedto the lidbya chain.As usual,the spoutis at a right angleto the handle.The initialsWED onthe other side havenotbeenidentified; the datebelow,1714,maybe bya differenthand.H. 45/8inches.TheAndrewM andEthelD. StoutFund,1952(52.91) Theundersideof the spoutcupinfig. 10 showsthe centerpointnextto the maker'smark.The cup'sbase with justa verylowstep inthe bodyandno appliedfootband to reinforceit-has becomebadlydentedat the sides. 11.

When first completed, a raised form showed strongevidenceof the countlesshammerstrokes thatwentintothe fashioning of its shape.The hammer markson the outer surfaceswere therefore smoothed,or planished,witha flat-facedhammer, and the piece was burnishedand polished.Even then some slight irregulantiesand vanationsremainedto catchthe lightandgive the mellowlook associatedwith old silver. (To this must also be addedthe countlessminusculescratchesandother blemishesthat have been inflictedby wear.)The surfaceof the spoutcupclearlyshowsthe nppling, shimmeringqualitycharactensticof earlycolonial silver a vibrancythatmechanically producedsilver cannotpossess. Surfacesthatwere not left plainwere decorated in the seventeenthcenturymainlywith engraved or chaseddesigns. Engraving(see fig. 14) is executedwith a sharp-edgedtool that cuts andactuallyremovesmetal.In chasing(see fig. 8, back),a

blunt-edgedtool tappedagainstthe silver with a hammeris usedandthe lineis formedby displacing, not removing,metal. Chasingis thus usuallyseen in reverse on the inner surface. Repousse, or pushed-out,designsstandout fromthe surfaceand are hammeredfromwithinand then given definitionfromthe outerside, as canbe seen on the superblyworkedbowl(figs. 12, 13). Ornamentin reliefwas alsoobtainedbymoremechanical methods: the foot bandof the bowljust mentionedis decoratedwith a stnp of silverthat has been stamped with a repeatedpattern;the reliefdesignson the handleandbowlof the spoon (figs. 16, 17) were madebyhammenngthe silveragainsta swagebearing the patternin intaglio. The designof silverproducedin the coloniesfollowedfor the most partEnglishinterpretations of Europeanstyles. The seventeenth-century style in Amencansilverreflectslate Renaissancetraditions andat timesclearlyrevealsthe distinctinfluenceof

Manneristornament.Mannerism,whichoriginated in Italyandthen spreadto NorthernEurope,was broughtto Englandby GermanandNetherlandish craftsmenandadoptedthereby the last quarterof the sixteenthcentury.It spreadnot only through themigration of artisansandobjectsbutalsothrough pnntedpatternsof ornament.Fromthe 1520s on, booksor smallersets of engravingsthat provided designideas for the professionalcraftsmanwere availablein Europeandbecameimportantvehicles of stylistictrends.SuchManforthe dissemination of symneristprintsfeaturedelaboratecompositions metricalfoliagethat couldincludeurns and other devicesandwas populatedwitha varietyof strange andhybridcreatures.The caryatidhandleson the bowlinfig. 13 arerelatedto these compositefigures andare of a standardtype madein bothNew York

12., 13. Thisimpressivepieceis the mostlavishlydecoratedandone of the largestof the knownsix-lobedbowls of NewYork.It was madeabout1700-10 by characteristic earlysmith CorneliusKierstede(1675-1757),anoutstanding filled,inthe Dutch of thatcolony.Thebowlwasprobably custom,witha beverageof brandyandraisinsthatwas drunk witha silverspoon.Theinitialsaresaidto be thoseof Quick,a baker,andhiswifeVroutje,who TheunisJacobsen marriedin 1689.Quickverylikelyowedhisprosperityto the regionalmonopolyon the inspecting,bolting,andexportingof flourheldbyNewYorkCitybetween1678and1694.Diam.10 inches.SamuelD. Lee Fund,1938(38.63)

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andNew England.PopularinnorthernEuropewere patternsthat also incorporatedinterlacingbands calledstrapwork,whichcanbe seen combinedwith foliageon the beakers(fig. 14). In this case the design impulse most likely came directly from Holland,for the beakerswere madein New York, where similarDutch beakers were availableas models;someDutchbeakershavesurvivedin New Yorkchurches,andothers must havebeen in domesticuse. Althoughin two knowninstancesthe engravingon New Yorkbeakerscan be tracedto specificprintedsources, the design on these appearsto followa standardized Dutchformulathat includesovalmedallionswithfigures,representing inthisinstanceFaith,Hope,andCharity.Tallbeakers with strapworkdecorationwere producedin London,Norwich, and Aberdeen, ports where Dutchinfluencewas strong, and three examples fromBostonare also known. A newerstyle was introducedto the coloniesat the endof the seventeenthcentury the Baroque, whichdominatedAmericansilverfromabout1690 to 1720. That periodproducedmanyof the most strikingobjectsin colonialsilver.Formswere massive and monumentalin concept, if not alwaysin size, anda diversityof ornament,principally inrelief, endowedthe objectswith the richnessandsense of movementthatwere characteristics of Baroque design.Styles changegradually, however,andobjects in the earlierfashionor stillincorporating elementsfromthe seventeenthcenturycontinuedto be madeintothe early 1700s, particularly in New York.Thebowlinfigs. 12, 13, madeabout1700-10, displaysthe horizontalform, floraldecorationin panels,andcaryatidhandlesof the previouscentury, butits exuberantopulenceandthe regular,rhythmicdispositionof its motifsare in the spint of the Baroque.Naturalistic repousseornament,whenit occurredin that style, was formedinto repetitive geometricpatterns.Typicalof foliagemotifsused about 1700 is the symmetricalarrangementof acanthusleaves seen on the lids of the porringer (figs. 18,19) andteapot(fig. 20). The lowerbody of a vessel was also sometimesdecoratedwith a series of acanthusleaves. The most widespreadmotifof the Baroqueperiodwas a whollygeometricone-gadrooning. Its alternating reeds andflutes,repousseandchased, createdrhythmicpatternsof projectionsandrecessionsandcontrastsof lightandshade;oftena spi-

14. TheNewYorkbeakeron the left, attributed toJurian Blanck,Jr.(about1645-1714),bearsaninscription inDutch, whichtranslated reads:"Atokenof devotionandloyaltyto the churchinKingston,1683."Its mate,latermadeto matchby anotherNewYorksilversmith,Benjamin Wynkoop(16751728),is similarly inscribedbutdatedNovember21, 1711. Thesmooth,highlypolishedsurfaceof the interiorof the earliercupis the regrettableresultof modernreliningand buffing.DutchtraditionsremainedstronginNew Yorkwell intothe eighteenthcenturyandthishandsometypeof beaker, whichcloselyfollowsseventeenth-century Dutchprototypes inbothformanddecoration,continuedto be madethereinto the 1730s.H. 71/4inches;73/8inches.Jointlyownedbythe ReformedProtestantDutchChurchof Kingston,NewYork, andTheMetropolitan Museumof Art, 1933(33.120.621,622) 15. Thedetailof the left-handbeakershowsa medallion witha figurerepresenting Charity.The Dutchtypeof house inthe background, witha steep, steppedgableendthatfaced the street, wasalsobuiltinNew York.

ralvariation was used. Suchornamentprovidedthe richthree-dimensional effects that distinguishBaroquesilver.The oval sugarbox (fig. 21) with its bandsof spiraledgadrooning,coiledserpentfinial, andoutwardcurvingfeet is alivewithcircularmotion andboldcontrastsof surfaceas the strongly refractivegadrooning is juxtaposedto a mattedborder andareasof plain,smoothsilver. In additionto the contrastof gadrooningwith plainsilver,the decorativevocabulary of the period includeda varietyof motifsas wellas diversetechniquesthatwere oftencombinedto createboldand complex compositions. Ornamentin relief was preferred,be it repousse, cast, stamped,or cutcardwork. Cut-carddesigns consist of a pattern cutfroma sheet of silverandsolderedto the surface of the object.Engraving was usedprincipally forarmorials.Thoughbandsof gadrooning are the most prominentfeatureon the chocolatepot (fig. 23), other decorativeelements includethe cast acorn finial,whichechoes the shape of the highdomed lid,andthe hinge,whose cast scrolledthumbpiece recalls the gadrooning.The geometric pattern aroundthe upperlidandthe leaf decorationat the topandbottomof the spout,bothcut-cardelements, impartvarietyand richness to a design that balancesa talltaperingformandthe verticalthrustof the gadrooning withhorizontalaccentsof moldings andbandsof plainsilver.

16., 17. The reliefornamentandthe flathandlewith trifidendof thisspoonbyJeremiah Dummer(1645-1718)of Bostonarecharacteristic of spoonsmadeabout1685-1700 thatreflectthe emergingBaroquestyle. Stampeddesigns werecommonlyusedon the backof the bowlbutonlyrarely onthe frontof the handleas seen here. Inthisperiodspoons wereplacedon the tablefacedown,andinitialswereengraved onthe backof the handle.L. 7 inches.RogersFund,1940 (40.106) 18., 19. Ofthe fewcoveredporringersknown,noneotheris embellished withgadrooning or the richfoliageexhibited here,whichis typicalof repousseworkof about1700.With oneexceptiontheycomefromNewYork,wherethisunmarkedexamplewas probably made.The initialsarethoseof ThomasandMaryBurroughs of New York,whomarriedin 1680.Laterinscriptions onthe bowlrecordsubsequent ownership inthe SylvesterandDeringfamilies.Thistypeof geometrichandle,basedon Englishprototypes,waspopular inNew EnglandbutwasusedinNew YorkandPhiladelphia as well.L. withhandle91/2inches.Giftof Brigadier-General SylvesterDering,1915(15.98.3)

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20. Theluxuriance ofthearmorial engraving withits cornucopiasat the bottom,the stampedbaseband,andthe meander wiresallpointto a NewYorkoriginforthisrichlydecorated teapot,whichwasmadeabout1700-15byJacobBoelenand is probably the earliestAmericanoneknown.Its lidis detachable andits globularshapecanbe tracedto oriental ceramicteapots.Thearmsandcrestarethoseof the Philipse familyof NewYork;the teapotlaterpassedintotheJayfamily. H. 61/2inches.Giftof Mrs.LloydK. Garrison,inmemoryof herfather,PierreJay,1961(61.246) 21., 22. Thiselaboratesugarboxof about1710is attributed to DanielGreenough(1685/86-1746),whoworkedinNew Castle,NewHampshire, butmaywellhavebeentrained inBoston,wherethe eightothersuchboxesknown,of a somewhatearlierdate,weremade.It is inscribedwiththe initialsof RobertandSarahEliot,Greenough's father-and mother-in-law. Beforethe drinking of tea andcoffeebecame widespread inthe eighteenthcentury,sugar,stilla costly commodity importedfromthe WestIndies,wasindemandto sweetennotonlyfoodsbutalsowinesandliquors.L. 71/2 inches.RogersFund,1946(46.61)

Onthe teapotin fig. 20, variationson the rhythmic patternof the gadrooningare providedby the stampedgeometricfootbandandthe appliedmeander wire at base andrim as well as the repetitive repousseand chased leaf designs aroundthe lid. Onone side this rhythmicvarietyis set off by the broad,unadomedsuriSceof the strongglobular body whileon the other it is ennchedby lush armorial engravingthatenvelopsthe wholeform.Suchsymmetncalarrangements of acanthusleavesarecharacteristicof Baroquecartouches.The richnessof thisfoliageandthe additionat the bottomof cornucopias(or in othercases swags of fruit)are typical of New Yorkengraving. The mostluxuriousobjectsin the collectionfrom this periodare a pairof candlesticksand matching snufferstand (fig. 26), on which barely any

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surfaceis left unadorned.Gadrooning,acanthus leaves, pebbling,andmeanderwires can be seen on numerouspieces of that time, but the chinoiserie designsof figures,birds,andanimalschased on the bases of these pieces are highlyunusual in Americancolonialsilverthoughthey were very muchin vogue on Englishsilverin the 1670s and 1680s. (Duringthe seventeenthcenturyobjects from the Far East were increasinglyin demand in Europe,andtheirpopularitypromptedthe productionof locallymade articles with decoration evocativeof that on orientalwares.) The candlesticks are impressivenot only for their rich and exoticchasingbut also for theirimposingsize and grandeur. architectonic The silverthat has survivedfromthe Baroque periodgives concreteevidenceof the widevariety of formsmadein the coloniesby that time andof achieved.Amongthe the highqualityof production moreambitiousand exceptionalpieces illustrated here are formsthatremainedrarein Americansilver even beyondthe colonialperiod.Candlesticks were never commonand the lavishpairjust discussedare the earliestextantexamplesfromNew who York.Theyweremadebythe samesilversmith createdthe robustandlivelykettle(fig.28), which is the earliestofjustfourcolonialones known.Most unusualis the inkstandinfig. 38, foronlyone other has survivedfromthe colonialperiod,the example at IndependenceHallby PhilipSyng,Jr., of Philadelphia,commissionedin 1752 by the Assembly of Pennsylvaniaand later used for the sigliingof the Declarationof Independence. Twoof the objectsshownrepresentseventeenthcenturyformsthat were producedbrieflyin New Englandbeforethey went out of style soon after 1700. The magnificentstandingsalt (fig. 24), one of only three known,is descendedfromthe late medievalgreatsalt,whichmarkedthe placeof honor andwas the most importantpiece of tablesilverat thattime.The spoolshapewithscrollsupportswas the last used forthis formandcameintofashionin Englandinthe 1630s. Herethe spoolhasanoctagonaltop andbase whose geometriclinesarejuxtaandscrolledknops. posedwithswirledgadrooning Anotherelaborateform that fell into disuse was the sugarbox of ovalcasket shape, fashionablein Englandduringthe secondhalfof the seventeenth century.The one in fig. 21, datableto not before 1707, when its makerbecame of age and would

23. Amongthe earliest colonialchocolate pots is this vivid Baroqueexample with contrastingplainand brokensurfaces made in Boston about 1700-10 by EdwardWinslow(16691753). The removableacorn finial,attached by a chainto the handlesocket, alloweda stirringrod to be inserted while the cover was kept closed and the contents remainedwarm. Engravedwith the Hutchinsonarms, the pot is said to have belonged to Thomas Hutchinson,a prosperous Boston merchantand member of the legislature whose son was the last royalgovernor of Massachusetts. H. 91/8inches. Bequest of AlphonsoT. Clearwater,1933 (33.120.221) 24. Bold swirled gadrooningat top and bottom makes this perhapsthe most imposingof the three knownAmerican standingsalts, all from Boston. FashionedbyJohn Allen (1671/72-1760) andJohnEdwards (1671-1746) duringtheir briefpartnershiparound1700, the salt bears the initialsof SolomonStoddard,minister at Northampton,Massachusetts, from 1672 to 1729, and his wife Esther. The shallowreceptacle at the top is smallin relationto the overallsize of the object, reflectingthe costliness of salt at the time the form first came into use and the originalceremonialfunctionof these pieces. The knops were designed to supporta dish of fruitor nuts served at the end of the meal. H. 57/8inches. Gift of SarahHaywardDraper, 1972 (1972.204)

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havebeenpermittedto workon his own,is considered the latest of the nine extantexamples. On the other hand, the Baroqueteapot (see fig. 20) andchocolatepot (see fig. 23) presagean increasingly largeoutputof articlesforthe serving of tea, coffee,andchocolateduringsucceedingperiods. The growingpopularityof tea andthe other newer hot beverageswas the social changethat mostinfluencedthe formsproducedbysilversmiths duringthe eighteenthcentury.Tea, introducedto Europefromthe Orientin the early 1600s, was beingdrunkin Londonbythe 1650sandinthe colonies at the end of the century at the same time thatcoffeeandchocolatewerealsobecomingknown. The earliestsurvivingcolonialpots are in the Ba-

25., 26. Probablythe mostambitiouspiecesof NewYork silverof the Baroqueperiodknownandthe onlyones with chinoiseriedecorationarethese magnificent candlestickswith matchingsnufferstand.The scissorlikesnuffersforcutting andtrimming candlewicks fittedverticallyintheopenrectangularbox.Madeby CorneliusKierstedeabout1700-10, the threeobjectsareinscribedwiththe initialsofJohannesand ElizabethSchuylerof Albany,NewYork,whomarriedin 1695. Schuylerwas activeinthe affairsof his cityandcolony, servingas mayorof Albanyfrom1703to 1706.Possiblythe set wasorderedat thattime.The detailshowstwoof the chasedchinoiseriedesignson the base of the left-handcandlestick.H. 111/2 inches;81/4inches.Rightcandlestick: Giftof RobertL. Cammann, 1957(57.153).Leftcandlestick: Giftof Mrs.ClermontL. Barnwell,1964(64.83).Snufferstand: Giftof Mr.andMrs.William A. Moore,1923(23.80.21)

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roquestyle andshowthe distinctionmadeby then betweenlowervessels for tea andtallerones for coffee and chocolate.Chocolatepots are identifiableby the hole in the lidundera removablefinial thatpermittedthe insertionof a stimng rod. Otherspecializedservingpieces that beganto be regularly madewerecastersforsugarandspices, smallsalts, chafingdishes, and salvers, as trays were then calledandwhichin this periodwere circularandstoodon a central,trumpet-shaped foot. Nonetheless,a largepartof the silversmith'sproductioncontinued to be spoonsanddrinking vessels. Tankards fromthe Baroqueperiodhavesurvived in goodlynumbersand the Metropolitan's collectionhas a particularly strongrepresentation of fine New Yorkexamples.These aredistinctivenot only becauseof theirhighdegreeof elaboration butalso becausethey are of a designuniqueto suchpieces fromthatarea.Drawingon variedsourcesandcombiningtheminnewways,NewYorksilversmiths at the time mostly of Dutchand a few of Huguenot descent createdtankardsthatunmistakably proclaimtheirlocalorigin. The shape of the tankardswith their straight, slightlytaperingdrums,flat, steppedlidswithserratedlips,andwidecurvinghandlesis derivedfrom the same Englishprototypesof the secondhalfof the seventeenthcenturyas the contemporary New Englandexamples.New Yorktankards,however, are distinguished by theirbroadstanceandstrong proportionsand the heavy gauge of the metal as wellas bytheirdecoration.A stampedfoliatebase band,whichoccurson Dutchbeakers,was often used, sometimestogether with a meanderwire, andthe tightlyspiraledcorkscrewthumbpiecewas invariably present (fig. 29). The greatestelaboration occurredon the handle andthe lid. Engravingwas used moreextensively in New Yorkthanin the other coloniesduringthe Baroqueperiodand on tankardsit was employed not onlyin the coatof armson the frontbutalsoin the embellishrnent of the lid. At times the engraving consistedonlyof a circularcartouchewiththe cipher,or monogram,of the owner.The moreornatedesignsusuallyfollowedwhatappearsto be a generallyaccepted formulathat includedfoliate scrolls,cherubs'heads, andbirdsaroundthe central reserve (figs. 30, 31). The motifsare traceable to printedpatternsof ornament,especially those of northernEurope,but it is probablethat

27., 28. A remarkable birdlikespoutembellishedwithacanthusleafagedistinguishes thisrareandlargekettlemadein NewYorkabout1710-20 by CorneliusKierstede.The broad, flatbottomindicatesthe kettlewasprobably designedto sit on a standovera warmer.Initialson the sideandbottom relateto a historyof ownershipinthe De PeysterandVan Cortlandt familiesof New York.H. withhandle10 inches. BequestofJamesStevensonVanCortlandt,1917(40.145) 29. Madeabout1700byGerritOnckelbag (1670-1732), thissplendidtankardhasthe ampleproportions, foliatebase band,corkscrewthumbpiece,andwell-executedengraved decoration thatcharacterize earlyNew Yorkexamplesof this form.Onthe frontarethe Shelleyfamilyarms,withthree welkshells,a rebusforthe name.The square-rigger with thirty-twogunson the lid(see detailon insidefrontcover)is purportedly the shipNassau, inwhichCaptainGilesShelley sailedto Madagascar in 1698foranastonishingly profitable tradingventurewithpirates,whichthispieceis saidto commemorate. H. 71/2inches.Bequestof AlphonsoT. Clearwater,1933(33.120.517)

of the stanWynkoop byBenjamin 30. Thisinterpretation darddecorativeelements a circleof foliationwithwingedcherubs'headsand/orbirds thatusuallycomposedthe engraveddesignon ornatelidsof New Yorktankardsof the earlyBaroqueperiodshowsa schematiccherubwithlarge of scrolledleaves.In wingsanda ratherloosearrangement the centeris a doublecipherof the initialsID, those of the originalowner,whomayhavebeenJonasDouw.A tankard's repairat the frontof the lidhidesa portionof the engraved Lansing,1901 borderaroundthe flange.Giftof Mrs.Abraham (01.3.1) fineengravingon thisNew Yorktankard 31. Theparticularly byJacobusVanderSpiegel(1668-1708)displaysa pairof birds,perhapsphoenixes,amidlushfoliage,andthe piececan be accuratelydatedbetween1695and1700.The double cipherRHM on the lidrefersto the originalowners,Robertand MariaHarris,whoweremarriedin 1695.InApril1701the Gorne.Thatcouple'sinitials widowedMariamarriedJohn IGM, areon the handle,whichhasengravedfoliatedecoration at the topandon the terminal.FletcherFund,1938(38.83) 32. Theappliedornamentthatimpartedanespeciallyrich Baroquenoteto the handlesof New Yorktankardsis a cast maskwithswagsandpendentfruitandflowers.The example is on a tankardof about1705-25 by Simeon illustrated Soumain(1685-1750);herethe maskon the upperhandle wasreused,shornof its pendants,on the terminal.H. 71/8 inches.Giftof AnnieClarkson,1927(27.85.1) 33. Thistankardmadeabout1700-20 byJacobBoelenis typicalof bytwotypesof reliefornamentation distinguished NewYorktankardsof the period:a coininsertedintothe lid IIIcrown fordecorativeeffect(inthiscase anEnglishWilliam dated1696)anda castappliqueon the upperhandle(herea lion,oneof the motifsfavoredforthatlocation).The action repeatedlyhittingthe handlehasworn of the thumbpiece awaysomeof the reliefanddetailon the frontof the lion. H. (closed)7 inches.Bequestof AlphonsoT. Clearwater, 1933(33.120.512) 28

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the designs shown here were conventionalized ones thatfoundvaryinginterpretations withdifferent silversmiths.The depictionof a shipon the lid of GilesShelley'stankardis exceptional(see inside frontcover). Ciphers,whichin this periodwere particularly popularin New York,hadappearedin specialpublicationsin Englandandthe Continentfromthe midseventeenthcenturyon. New Yorksmithsno doubt reliedon suchhelpfulbooksto devisetheirciphers anddoubleciphers.In about1725JosephRichardson of Philadelphia, who was beglnninghis silversrnithingapprenticeshipwith his father,asked a friendto buyhimbooksin England,includingspecifically"analphabetCypherbookto Engraveby." Another manner of decoratinglids that was characteristic of New York,particularly duringthe Baroqueperiod, was the insertionof coins and

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occasionallymedals (fig. 33), a practicethat had precedencein northernEuropeanandScandinavian silver.Coinsprovidedornamentin relief, andit is castreliefdecoration on thehandlethatdistinguishes manyNew Yorktankards.Thoughvaryingcast cherubs'headsandmasksdecoratethe handleterminalsof both New Englandand New Yorktankardsof the Baroqueperiod,the cast ornamenton the upperhandleis foundonlyin New York.Most typicalis anarrangement of a maskwithswagsand pendentfruit and flowers (fig. 32). Ishoughdistinctiveof New Yorktankards,this motifdid not originatethere.Frenchbronzeornamentsforfurniture and bronzeappliqueson Englishclocks are knownthat are virtuallyidenticalto some of the New Yorkcastingsfor both upperhandleandtip, thoughelementswere used selectivelyandsometimes rearranged.It is thereforevery likelythat these castingswere madefromimportedmodels, as wasprobably alsothe lioninfig.33, whosesource has not yet been traced. NewEnglandtankards of the Baroqueperiodhave the same overallshapeas theirNew Yorkcousins buttheyaregenerallyless massiveandless showy andtheydifferinmanyof theirdecorativeelements. Lids,whenornamented, have cut-cardworkor gadrooning(figs.34,35). The handleoftenhas a long dropat the upperjuncture,and the cast thumbpieces are distinctive. The typicaldouble-scroll thumbpiecein fig. 35 is easilydistinguishable from the tightlyspiraledNew Yorkvariety.SeveralBoston silversmithsused a most curioustype, whose exact source is not known, that combines two dolphinswith a mask (fig. 34). Otheranimal-form thumbpiecessuch as the bird(fig. 36) are exceptional.Cast animalfiguresin the roundare rare, thoughthe three-dimensional effects they created were very muchin the Baroquespint, and those few that are knownfrom the early colonialperiodwere madein New England.Primeexamples on a form other than a tankardare the crouch-

34. The castthumbpiece composedof a masksupportedby dolphins,a designof unknownoriginusedbyvariousNew Englandsmithsinthe Baroqueperiod,is the eye-catching featureof a tankardmadeabout1700-15byJohnNoyes (1674-1749)of Boston.Highlyuncommon on the flat-topped tankardsin styleat thattimeis the additionof a finial,which hererecallsthe patternof the gadroonedstep of the lid.Gift of Mrs. GeorgeWalcott,1951(51.88)

35. Appliedcut-cardwork,a typeof ornamentation introducedto EnglandbyHuguenotsilversmiths,enrichesthe lid andlowerhandlejunctureof thisBostontankardmadeabout 1690-1705byJeremiah Dummer.Themoldedouterfaceof the handleandthe curlnearthe basearedecorativeelements that,likethe castappliquesonNewYorktankards,are thoughtto havealsoserveda practical purpose to facilitatea firmgrip.Theholesbelowthe hingeplatewerecausedby wearfromthe thumbpiece.H. 7 inches.Purchase,AnonymousGift,1934(34.16) 36. Anunusualdetailon a tankardmadeabout1710-20 by SamuelVernon(1683-1737)of Newport,RhodeIsland,is thisstrikingbirdthumbpiece.Onlythreeotherslikeit are known,andtheyareon tankardsbysilversmithsworkingin Boston,whereVernonpossiblytrained.Thelidon thispiece, havingmorethanone step, is high,andit hasa finial,two characteristics thatwouldbecomecommonon New England tankardsbeginning withthe succeedingstylisticperiod.Gift of Brigadier-General SylvesterDering,1915(15.98.4)

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37., 38. Exceptionalfor the rarityof the formand the use of animalfigures in the round, this Boston inkstandof 1710-20 is the work of John Coney. It includes an inkwell, a sand shaker (the precursorof blottingpaper), and a box to hold the wafers with whichfoldedletters were sealed. The lid of the wafer box is engravedwith the Belcher familycrest, suggesting that the inkstandmay have been made forJonathanBelcher, a wealthyBoston merchantactive in politics who became governorof Massachusetts and, later, of NewJersey. The detail shows a cast foot in the form of a lion. Greatest w. 73/4 inches. Bequest of CharlesAllen Munn, 1924 (24. 109.36) 39. Probablythe earliest knownNew Englandteapot, this example of 1710-20 byJohn Coney has a soft, curvilinear pear shape and a discrete oval cartouchethat reflect the Queen Anne taste then being introduced.The piece represents the thirdand last style espoused by this outstanding Boston silversmith. The arms and crest are those of the Mascarenefamily;the teapot most likely belonged to JeanPaulMascarene, who came to Boston in 1709 andlater served as commander-in-chiefof Nova Scotia. H. 7l/2inches. Bequest of AlphonsoT. Clearwater,1933 (33.120. 526)

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ing lions supportingthe inkstand(fig. 37). Theinfluenceof a newerstylethatwas inmarked contrastto the elaboratenessof the Baroquebegan to be felt in the coloniesabout1715. Now called QueenAnneafterthe monarchduxingwhosereign (1702-14) the style becamepopularin England,it was the dominantfashionin Americansilverfrom about1720to 1750. The QueenAnneemphasized formratherthandecoration,allowingthe inherent beautyof the metalto be revealedin harmonious linesandgracefulproportions.Anearlyexpression of this newertaste is the teapotin fig. 39 with its pear-shaped outlineandits modicumof decoration. The engravingitselfon the side of the pot is clearly in a differentspint. Goneare the expansiveflourishes of the earlierBaroquecartouches.In their place is a self-containedoval surroundof scrolls andleaves that exemplifiesthe resene andquiet

graceof the QueenAnne. Verysimilarfoliageencirclesthe crest engravedon the lid of the wafer boxof the inkstandinfig. 38, madeaboutthe same time as the teapotandby the same Bostonsmith. The form of the inkstand,however,with its lion supportsthat give it a monumentality beyondits size, stillbespeaksthe Baroque,evincingthe gradualacceptanceof the newer style. Thebasisof most QueenAnnesilvershapeswas the S-curve,also seen in the cabrioleleg typicalof furniturein the same style, andwhichthe painter Hogarthwas to call the "lineof beauty."Bulbous andbalusterformsdistinguishedby flowing,wellbalancedlines of curves andreverse cunes were hence popular.On the teapot (fig. 39) the curves areallfullandthe almostglobularbodystandsclose to the groundon a verylowfoot. Ona standingcup (fig.40) the shapelyserpentinecurvesof the stem

contrastwiththe straightsides of the bowlandits somewhatabruptlyeverted lip. Amongthe most elegantandfluidformsof the periodare the sugar bowlsbasedon Chineseporcelainshapes(see fig. 47). The complementingverticalcurves of body andcovercoupledwiththe honzontalsof the molded footandof the lid'snm andhandleachievea beautifullyproportioned andbalancedform. Anotheraspectof the QueenAnneis seen inthe "eight-square," or octagonal,pieces that became fashionablein this period.On these, curves interplaywith straightlines and the surfacebecomes dividedintofacets thatexploitthe reflectiveproperties of the metal. The delicatebaluster-shaped candlesticks(fig. 41) sparklewith their surfaces dividedinto polygonalforms, the highlyfaceted socketandlowerknopcontrastingwiththe quieter patternof the balusterandfoot. In New Yorkduringthisperiod,cut-cardworkwas sometimesused to create effects similarto that of faceting,as on the lid of the teapot (fig. 42), where the lambrequinson the coverecho the faces of the octagonal spoutandadda touchof piquancyto the soft, almostlanguidcontoursof the form.Whileon octagonalobjectsthe surfacewas brokenup vertically,

40. Onthiscommunion cupthe QueenAnnestyleis manifest inthe dominant S-cunes of the balusterstemandthe neatsymmetrical surroundof the inscription, whichreads: "BelongsTothe ChurchinLyndeStreetBoston."It is one of a pairmadeabout1740bySamuelEdwards(1705-1762)of Boston,andits designcloselyfollowsthatof a cupmadeabout 1737byhisfather,JohnEdwards,forthe samechurch.Such stemmedvessels, whichwereproducedinthe eighteenth centurymainlyforchurchuse, derivedtheirformfromearlier domesticwinecups.H. 81/8inches.Bequestof AlphonsoT. Clearwater, 1933(33.120.230)

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41. These candlesticks withtheirdelicatefacetedbaluster stemsweremadeinBostonabout1715-25 byEdward Winslowandareamongthe loveliestobjectsof the Queen Anneperiodinthe Americansilvercollection.Onlythe engravedHutchinson armsdisruptthe sheerbrilliance of the metal.The candlesticksarethoughtto havebeenfashioned forEdwardHutchinson, the half-brother of Thomas,for whomWinslowis saidto havemadethe chocolatepotinfig. 23. H. 65/16 inches.Friendsof the AmericanWingFund,1973 (1973.152.1,2) 42. Distinguished bythe cut-cardworkon its lid,thisteapot wasmadeabout1715-25 byPeterVanDyck(1684-1751)of NewYork.There,earlyheraldicconventionsremainedstrong wellintothe eighteenthcentury,andon thisQueenAnnepot the Schuylerfamilyarms,nowpartially effaced,wereenclosed withinan ample Baroquecartouche. A later inscription on the other side identifies the first owner as Myndert Schuyler,who was twice mayorof Albany.H. 71/4inches. Rogers Fund, 1946 (47. 7)

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casterswereusuallymadeinpairs 43. Eighteenth-century orinsets of threewitha largercontainerforsugarinaddition to the twoforspices(generallypepperandmustard).This rarecompleteset of about1725-35, one of the fewto have survivedintactfromthe colonialperiod,is the workof Adrian Bancker(1703-1772)of New York.He producedanearly thatwithvariaversionof the balustershapewithmidband tionswouldremainthe standardformforcastersuntilthe end lidfastenings of the century,buthe retainedthe "bayonet" popularinthe early1700s.H. 7 inches;55/8inches.SansburyMillsFund,1972(1972.233.1-3) 44. A vividexampleof the emphasisgivento lineandreflectivesurfacesinthe QueenAnneperiod,thisoctagonalcaster balusterformwas madeabout1730-40 by of anaccentuated forHugh KnightLeverett(1702/03-1753)of Bostonprobably andElizabeth(Pitts)Hallof thatcity.It is engravedwiththe crestof the Hallfamilyandmaywellbe partof the set of casterslistedintheirplateinventoryof 1750.H. 5 inches.Rogers Fund,1948(48.152)

on othersthe expansesof plainsilverwere divided honzontallyby midbandswhose moldedcontours reflectedthose of the base, lid, or finial(fig. 43). Whetherin the masterfulcompositionof curverecup (fig. 45) callingcurveof the largetwo-handled caster outlinesof anoctagonal orinthe moreangular (fig. 44), silversmithsworkingin the QueenAnne stylestroveto achieveperfectioninlineandproporthe purity tionwithlittleor no decorationdisrupting of the surfaces. Althoughthe style can be viewedas a reaction of the precedingBaroque, againstthe elaborateness it also representsthe preferencefor plain,wellsilverformsthathas existedto some proportioned degree in every period.Silvermadefor churches duringthe eighteenthcenturytendedto be in the plainstyles; so didmanydomesticpieces, even in silverwas in vogue. timeswhenhighlyornamented Newspaperadvertisementsof the thirdquarterof the eighteenthcenturyofferedsilver articleseither "plainor chased,"to accommodatedifferent tastes as wellas differentpricerequirements.Not onlywas the initialcost of the sturdy,plainpiece smaller,but also the objectwas less likelyto be damagedor look outmodedandthereforeneed to be melteddownandrefashioned.WilliamFitzhugh in mindwhenhe hadsuchpracticalconsiderations orderedsilverfromhis Londonagentin 1688, requestingthatthe plate"bestrong& plain,as being less subjectto bruise, more Serviceable,& less out for the fashion." Engravedinscriptions,initials,andfarnilycoats added the onlydecoration of armswerecustomarily to Queen Anne silver. Engravingwas charged separately,whilethe basicpriceof a silverobject by the amountof silverrequired, was deterrnined at the currentvalue,plusthe chargeforfashioning, whichwas usuallyfiguredat so muchper ounce. in about1698was The goingrate in Pennsylvania anOunce "betweenHalfa CrownandThreeShiDings On forworking.. . Silver,andforGoldequivalent." some pieces the weightof the silveris scratched or engravedon the undersideas an exact accounting for smith and client (fig. 46). If a customer suppliedmoresilverthanwas used, the creditwas appliedtowardthe cost; if he didnot provideany for or allof the metal,he was chargedaccordingly the material. Duringthe QueenAnneperiod,the cartouches for the farnilycoats of armswere oval, as already

coveredcup,probably 45. Thislarge,imposingtwo-handled of about1740,is one of fourknownsimilarcupsmadeby JacobHurd(1702/03-1758),a leadingfigureinBostonsilversmithingduringthe secondquarterof the eighteenthcentury. piecesandon ceremonial Suchcupswereusuallypresentation a richportoccasionsmighthavebeenfilledwith"bishop," winednnk.Thecipherof the originalowneris thoughtto be of Virginia; the impaled Cave,a clergyman thatof William armsof the CaveandPetitfamilieswereaddedat a laterdate onthe otherside. H. 103/8 inches.MorrisK.JesupFund, 1952(52.170)

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ancienttimes, thoughsome others do now claim armson slightgroundif reportbe true, havingno warranttherefor." Bookssuchas Guillim's Display ofHeraldry(London,sixthedition,1724),a favorite reference,madeit possibleto simplylook up the familyname,andat least in one instancethe arms of a nameclose to butnot identicalwiththatof the customerwere used by the silversmith.Thomas Hancock,a wealthymerchantof Bostonwhosearms are engravedon the dishin fig. 59, maywellhave appropriated themfromanotherbranchof the family. The designwas very likelyprovidedby his London agent,sinceHancockwrotehimin 1739askinghim to findthe Hancockarms.Inengraving,established patternsindicatethe heraldictinctures:thus, on the Hancockarmsthe verticallines denotegules, or red, and the plainareas argent, or silver. On manyof the arms engravedon Americansilver, however,the tinctureswere omitted,or onlypartiallyor inaccuratelyshown. Becauseof familyarmsandinscriptionsthatrelateobjectsto theirowners,andalsobecausemost piecesbeara maker'smark,silveris the best documentedof the colonialdecorativearts. In its time, suchengravingnot onlyprovidedornamentand,in the case of arms, socialstatus, but it also served the very practicalpurposeof identifyingobjectsin case of theft. The theft of silver was a common recordedcnme incolonialtimesandarms,ciphers, initials,the maker'smark,andthe weightwere all importantmeansof identifyingthe stolenarticles, whichwere "stopped"by silversmithsif offeredfor purchase.JacobJ. Lansingof Albanyadvertisedin the New-YorkMercuryof April24, 1758, that "a SilverTankard,weight 34 oz. and some Pennyweight,markedIHL theMaker'sMarkI.C." wastaken fromhis house. Blockinitialswere commonin the eighteenthcenturyand in the case of a married couple were often in a triangulararrangement. Usually,the familyinitialwas at the top and the first-nameinitialof husbandandwifeat the bottom (see fig.13); Lansing'stankardappearsto follow the patternoften used in Albanywith the wife's firstinitialat the apex. It was dunngthe QueenAnneperiodthatarticles forthe servingof tea beganto constituteanimportantsegmentof the colonialsilversmith's production. At firsta costly luxuryenjoyedby few in America, tea was beingdrunkby more andmore peoplein bothtownandcountryby the mid-eighteenth cen-

46. Theundersideof the sugarbowlinfig.47 showsthe carefullyengravedweightof the piece,given,as was the custom,introyounces,pennyweights, andgrains.The bowl's lidis markedwithits separateweight.Oftenthe weightwas justscratchedratherthanengravedintothe silver. 47. Theearliestcolonialsugarbowlsforuse at the tea tableweremadeinthe QueenAnnestyle. Ofcircularor,on occasion,octagonaloutlines,theyhada gentlycurvingshape anda saucerlikelidthatcouldbe invertedto sene as a small footeddish.Thisparticularly handsomeandlargebowlwas madeinBostonabout1740byJacobHurdandis engraved withthe armsandcrestof the Henchman family.Thefine cartoucheis typicalof the periodinits well-measured arrangementof scrollsandleaveson a scaledgroundbutexceptional inits depictionof a bowl.Commonat the time if a crestwas notshownat the topof the cartouche was a designof leaves or scrollsor a shell,a motifthatwas to predominate inthe succeedingperiod.H. 41/2inches.Anonymous Loan(L.57.12) 48. Thistea caddy,or canister,madeabout1725-40 bySimeonSoumainof NewYork,is notableforits wellproportioned, distinctlygeometricformenhancedbythe heraldicengravingof the Bayardfamilyarms.It is one of the fewto havesurvivedfromthe colonialperiod.Fashionable accessoriesforthe tea table,caddiesforthe storingof dried tea leaveswereintroduced around1725butneverbecame commoninAmericansilver.H. 43/8inches.Giftof E. M. Newlin,1964(64.249.5)

tury.The customof tea dnnking,withits own etiquette andspecialequipment,becamethe center of sociallifein the home,andobjectsof silveradorningthe tea tableproclaimed the statusof the house. QueenAnneteapotswere eitherof the globular formfavoredinBostonandPhiladelphia (see fig. 57) or of the pearshapemorecommonlyused in New York(see fig. 42). Creamor milkpots, sugarbowls, slopbowlsforcollectingthe dregsof tea, tea caddies (see fig. 48), teaspoons,andtea tongs,as theywere thenknown,were allintroduceddunngthatperiod andbecameintegralpartsof the well-appointed tea table.Articlesof the tea equipagewereamongthose silverformsthatassiduouslyreflectedeachchangingfashion.Individual items,however,werenotnecessarilyof the same design or even of the same style, for they were often acquiredpiece by piece to replaceless costly ceramicvessels. Whilemore thanone objectwas sometirnesorderedat a time, completematching teaservicesdidnotbecomecommon untilthe end of the eighteenthcentury. Thedemandforcoffeepots,thoughit didnotequal thatfor teapots, was also steadilygrowing.In this periodthe formerassumeda tapenngcylindrical shape,as didchocolatepots, whose popularity, like that of chafingdishes, was on the wane by midcentury.Otherforms such as casters, salts, and salvers,as wellas numeroussmalleritemsof function or ornament,became increasinglyprevalent as the centuryprogressed,whilethe regularoutput of spoons, tankards,mugs, and porringers continued. Tankardsmadein the majorsilversmithing centers of Boston, New York,andPhiladelphia during the eighteenthcenturyexhibiteddistinctregional characteristics probablymoreconsistentlythandid anyother form. In Massachusetts,the flat lid remainedin fashiononly into the early 1700s. From the QueenAnneperiodon, a domedlidwas inuse, butunlikethatof its Englishprototypes,it was customarilyornamentedwith a finial.In addition,the bodybecamemoreslender,anda midbandwas introduced(fig.49). InNew York,on the otherhand, tankardsretainedtheir flat, steppedlids, straight sides, andslightlytaperingbodiesthroughoutthe eighteenth century,reflectingchangingfashions throughdetailsof ornamentandlighterproportions ratherthanthrougha vanationin basic form(fig. 50). In Philadelphia, domedlids succeededthe flat tops of earlytankardsas in Boston,buta finialwas

not added(fig. 51), andin the second halfof the centurya bulbousbody was introducedthat was alsooccasionally used inNew York.The bulbshape was a commonformformugs,or canns,bom about 1720on (fig. 52). By about1730the so-calledkeyholepatternforpolTingerhandles(fig. 53) hadsupersededthe earliergeometricdesigns(see fig. 18), and it remainedin widespreaduse for the rest of the century. The varietyof colonialsilver that has survived increaseswitheverychronological period.Fromthe secondquarterof the eighteenthcenturycomethe earliestextantsilver-hilted smallswords,whichnot onlyservedas weaponsbutalsowerewornas fashionableaccessories.The type of silverhiltthatwas in vogue at that time (fig. 54), with its lack of decoration,prominentuse of curves, and in this instance octagonaltreatmentat the base of the

49. Typicalof the fullydevelopedMassachusettseighteenthcenturytankardarethe high,stepped,domedlidwithfinial andthemidband seen on thisexamplemadeinBostonprobably about1760-70 byBenjamin Burt(1729-1805).Its slender proportions clearlyshowthe trendtowardtallerandmore taperedtankardformsas the centuryprogressed.H. 81/2 inches.Giftof RobertS. Grinnell,1970(1970.287.1) 50. Madeabout1750-69byNicholasRoosevelt(1715-1769), thistankardexhibitsthe flattopandslightlytaperedbodythat characterized New Yorktankardsthroughout the eighteenth century.Thedouble-scroll handle,the extrarise inthe lid, andthe slightattenuation of the formsuggestthatthistankard wasnotproducedbeforethe mid-century. H. 77/8inches. Bequestof CharlesAllenMunn,1924(24.109.2) 51. Incloseimitationof Englishmodelsof the earlyto mid-eighteenth century,thisPhiladelphia tankardof about 1725-50 byPhilipSyng,Jr.(1703-1789),featuresa high domedlidwithouta finial.Duringthe secondhalfof the century,tankardsinthatcityretainedthistypeof lidbutoften hada roundedbodysimilarto thatof canns(see fig. 52). H. 71/8inches.BequestofCharlesAllenMunn,1924(24.109.1) 52. Drinking vessels withoutlidsandof bulbousoutlines, suchas thisone madeinBostonabout1740-55 byJacob Hurd,werepopularin allthe coloniesfromthe 1720suntilthe endof the century.Todaythisformis usuallycalleda "cann," inoppositionto straight-sided "mugs,"thoughinthe 1700s the twotermsseem to havebeenusedinterchangeably. Cannsvariedlittlein shapeotherthanintheirhandles,which tendedto be double-scrolled beginningat the mid-century. Thecurrentstylewaschieflyindicatedbyengraveddecoration - a Rocococartouchecanbe partiallyseen here. H. 51/8 inches.RogersFund,1922(22.90)

wI 3-, _s*s third eral _ i or =n sentation ,large in about bowls standing quarter seizing Queen 1725-50 ofpiece performances Anne an the by Edward of enemy was mid-century two-handled the developed Winslow pnvateer of century. all is kinds. characteristic cup in ason (see the well view Among nineteenth fig. as the in ofin the 45), sevThe re-

pommel,is in keepingwith the QueenAnne. DerivedfromEnglishexamplesof about1720, hiltsin this style remainedpopularin the coloniesintothe

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wardfor completinga profitableventure.An early example of this latter category is the tankard presentedto the notoriousGilesShelley reputeclly (see fig. 29). While the exact history of many pieces that marked importantpersonal occasions such as christenings,marriages,or weddinganniversaries has been lost, engravingusuallydocumentsthe more publicpresentationsilver that honors out-

keyhole, 53. Porringerhandlesinthispattern,nowcalled fromthe 1730son. The engravedcrest shownhere prevailed is thatof the Brownfamilyandthe initialsdenotea giftfrom Brownof Providence,RhodeIsland,to his daughter Obadiah was partof a groupof sflvermadeforher Anna.Theporringer Burtof Boston.L. handle27/8inches. in 1763byBenjamin 1933(33.120.330) Bequestof AlphonsoT. Clearwater,

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whichevolvedoutoftheearliercoveredcaudlecup, is the colonialform that probablymost evokes a purelyceremonialpiece. The occasionforthe fashioningof the cup illustratedis not known,buttwo of the other cups of this type, both also byJacob Hurdof Boston,weremadeto honorcaptainswhose shipscapturedFrenchprivateersin coastalwaters in 1744.Probablythe largestgroupof presentation silveris thatgivento shipcaptainsin recognitionof theirdaringin protectingtheirshipsagainstattack

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the gripis earliestcolonialsilverswordhiltsknown.Typically, boundwithbraidedwireandthe onlytouchesof decoration areat the topof the knuckleguardandon the pommel, whichhereis notonlymoldedbutalsofaceted.The steel onthe counterbladeis Europeaninorigin.The inscription guardindicatesa giftfromIM to FB; the latteris saidto be [Bowdoin],a descendantof the Huguenot FrancisBaudouin familythatsettledinMaineandBoston.L. hilt57/8 inches. 1933(33.120.500) Bequestof AlphonsoT. Clearwater,

AmericanWingis one (fig.55) thatcommemorates braveryduringthe firethatdestroyedthe New Free Schoolandpartof the steeple of the adjacentTrinity ChurchinNew YorkCityon February23, 1750. The event is recordedby the engravedscene on the front. One of the men who helped save the churchwas a chairmaker,AndrewGautier,who had this smallbowlmade out of his share of the fifty-pound rewardgivenbythe church.A considerablylargerbowl(fig.56) celebratesa horsenamed Plate OldTenorwhowonthe NewYorkSubscription raceon October11 of the followingyear.The tradition of silver racing trophies goes back to the seventeenthcenturyin the colonies, for a 1670 descriptionof a Long Islandplainused for racing mentionsthat the swiftesthorse in a yearlyevent was "rewardedwith a silver cup."The most historiccolonialbowlof all is one in the Museumof

55. Thefirethatbrokeoutinthe New FreeSchoolinNew YorkCityinthe earlyhoursof February23, 1750,destroyed thatrecentlycompletedbuilding,andas depictedinthis scene the blazewas spreadbyflyingcinders commemorative to the steepleof TrinityChurch,wherehappilyit was extinguished.(Theengraveddateis "1749/50"becausetwo calendarsweretheninuse.) The rewardmoneyreceivedby AndrewGautier,a chairmaker,forhispartin savingthe wenttowardthisbowlmadebyAdrian churchapparently forAndrewandhis wifeElizabeth BanckerandinscribedAGE Loan(L.50.18) Diam.7 inches.Anonymous

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Fine Arts in Boston. Made by PaulRevereII, it memorializes the ninety-twomembersof the MassachusettsHouseof Representatives,who inJune 1768votednotto rescindtheirprotestto GeorgeIII eventhoughtheirvote meantthe dissolutionof the assembly.All such bowls have a basicallysimilar gentlycurvingformthatchangedlittlethroughout thecentury,thoughbythe timeReveremadethisfa-

mousSonsof Libertybowl,a newerprevailing style was conspicuousfor its more exuberantshapes. With the introductionat mid-centuryof the Rococo,the last of the colonialstyles, silvertook on a playfuleleganceandsurfacedecorationonce againbecameanimportantelementof design.The term"Rococo" is thoughtto derivefromthe French rocaille ("rockwork"), and naturalisticdecoration

was a keynote of this style, whichoriginatedin Franceandwas transmittedto the coloniesby way of England.Amongthe earliestmanifestations of the style werethose in engravedornamentsuchas thaton the teapot(figs. 57,58). The Rococomotifs of shellsanddiaperingseen aroundthe shoulderof the pot firstappearedon late QueenAnnesilverin the type of regular,containedarrangementof this border.Entirelyin the spint of the Rococois the livelycompositionof the armorialcartouche,which enunciatesnot onlythe stronglynaturalistic decorativevocabulary butalso the taste forasymmetry andfantasyof this newer style. The basicallycurvilinearshapes of the Queen Anne were retainedby the Rococobut they becamelighterandmorefanciful as wellas embellished by ornament.Suchobjectsas creampots, sauceboats, and salts, insteadof standingon a single solidbase, were raisedon smallscrollfeet (figs. 60, 61). Double-scroll handlesbecamemorepopular than the single scroll and sometimes seemed to performa bit of acrobatics.On sauceboatssuch as the pairby Paul Revere II (see fig. 61) they reachup into space, endowingthe vessel with a touchof freeandairyasymmetry.The globularoutlineof the teapotdiscussedabove,alreadypopular in the 1730s,continuedinuse pastthe mid-century. By the 1760s, however,manypots assumedthe

56. Thehistoryof thispunchbowlwithits rareearly engraving of anAmericanracehorseis recordedinthe inscription, whichreads:"This,PlateWonBy A Horse,Cal,D OLD TenorBelonging ToLewisMoris,Jun,r Octob,r ye11, 1751." ("Oldtenor"wasa termappliedto eighteenth-century colonial papercurrencyissuedbeforethe late1730s,when"newtenor"noteswereintroduced. ) Thetrophyis unmarked but musthavebeenmadeinNewYork,wherethe racewas held, as announced on September9 bythe Gazetteor WeeklyPost Boy, whichon October15 dulypublished the nameof the winner.Thebowlwasgivento the Museumbyone of Morris's descendants.Diam.9l5/l6inches.Giftof Mrs.LewisMorris, 1950(50.161) 57., 58. Fineengraveddecorationdistinguishes thisteapot ofabout1745-55byJosiahAustin(1719-1780)of Charlestown, Massachusetts.Theborderaroundthe shoulderexhibitsthe carefulsymmetryof QueenAnneengravingandthe shells, scrolls,andovalcartouchesona diaperedgroundare characteristic of the 1740s.Thefreer,asymmetrical typeof designthatsurrounds the armsof the Warefamilyonthe side showsthe changesintroduced bythe Rococoat mid-century. H. 55/8inches.Bequestof CharlesAllenMunn,1924 (24.109.7)

inverted-pearform, the most typically Rococo shape. Called"double-bellied" at that time, it becameparticularly favoredfortea-, coffee-,andcream pots as wellas for sugarbowls(see fig. 69). Early in the centurybulbousformshadbeen earthbound: the teapotin fig. 39 carnesits weightlowandhasa very shallowfootband.By the late Rococoperiod, shapeshadstretchedupwardandstoodon a splayed foot and, on double-belliedpieces, the center of gravitywas raisedhighabovethe base, conveying a sense of imbalance consonantwsththe whimsicality of the style. The finalstage of this evolutioncan be clearlyseen by companngthe coffeepot(fig.63) wsththat in fig. 72. Withthe Rococo, the gently flowingcurves of the QueenAnnegave wayto livelier,moreirregularrhythrnsthatcombinedC-, brokenC-, andserpentinecurves, as can be seen in the scalloped nms of the creampot andsauceboats(see figs. 60, 61). The bowlof the ladle(fig.62) is allcurvesand lobes and the whole form evokes the shells that were the penod'sdominantdecorativemotif.Stylized shells composethe bases of the candlesticks (fig.64). The shapeof the snufferstand(fig.66) is entirelydetenninedby the decoration:cast scrolls andshells createthe elaborateoutlinesof the tray andserve as feet andthe handle.Formanddecoration thus becomeinseparable,andsuch a synthesis is at the heart of the most successfulRococo creations. The design of a basket (figs. 67,68) elegantly piercedwitharabesquesthatalternatewithquatrefoilsina diaperpatternis beautifully cohesive.One areaof decorationmoves into the next: the shells on the rimcontinuethe gadrooning intothe pierced

59. Thislargecommunion dishbySamuelMinott(1732-1803) of Bostonis one of six threebyMinottandthreebyJohn Coburn presumably purchasedwiththe onehundred poundsbequeathedbyThomasHancockin 1764to the church inBrattleStreet,Boston.The Rococostyleis heremanifest inthe exuberantcartoucheof the Hancockarmsandinthe slightasymmetryof the frondssurrounding the winged cherub'shead.Allsix dishesaresimilarly engraved,though onthe othersthe cherubtendsto be placedmoredirectly underthe coatof arms.Diam.131/8inches.Bequestof AlphonsoT. Clearwater, 1933(33.120.235)

60. Rocococreampotswiththeirelongatedscallopedlips balancedbyelaboratelyscrolledhandlesoftenhavea jaunty air,aneffectenhancedon thisexamplebythe sprightly armorial engraving.Thearmsarethose of the Brownfamily andthispiece,byBenjamin Burtof Boston,mayhavebeen madeforAnnaBrownof Providence,RhodeIsland,in 1763, at the sametimeas the porringerinfig53. H. 35/8inches. Bequestof AlphonsoT. Clearwater, 1933(33.120.295)

61. Bold,freestanding handlesgivea visualliftto the long, lowbodiesof these Bostonsauceboats,or butterboats, fashionedinthe Rococoformpopularinthe 1750sand60s. Eachof these bearsa differentmarkof PaulRevereII (1735-1818).Oneof these marksis believedto havebeen usedalsobyhisfather,butit is presumedthatthe sauceboats weremadeat the sametimeandbythe youngerRevere about1765,afterRevereI's death forsauceboatswere customarily boughtinpairsandbothareengravedwiththe initialsof MungoandRuthMacKay,whomarriedin 1763. L. 79/16 inches.GiftofMr.andMrs.AndrewVarickStout,1946 (46.40.1,2) 62. The shapeof the gracefulscallopedandlobedbowlof thisladle,whichis attachedto the woodenhandlebya curved support,recallsthe shellformsthatwerea favoriteRococo motif.MadebySamuelEdwardsof Bostonabout1750-60, the ladleis inscribedISEforIsaacSmithandhiswifeElizabeth (Storer),whowas Edwards'sniece;the couplewasmarriedin 1746.L. bowl4 inches.RogersFund,1941(41.70.3)

B. A restainedNew Englandexpressionof the Rococo style,thiscoffeepotrnadeinBostonabout1750 60 bySamuel Edwardscombmesa shapelyformwithordya fewdetailsof omament,notablythe designof boldflutesandscrollsthat envelopsthe baseof the cast spoutand}s recalledin the tighterpattetmsof the pineapplefirlialandof the acanthuson the spouttip.The coffeepotis saidto havebelongedto ElizabethSmith,whoownedthe ladleinfig 62. The es monogram onthe sideis a lateraddition.H. 9 </4 mches. RogersFundw 1941(41.7().1)

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65. Shell motifs determine the intncate lobed outlines ofboth the bases and the removable bobeches of these tall? elegant candlest}cks.Originallypart of a set of four, made byMyer Myers (1723-1795), New Yorkss they were leading silversmith of the Rococo periodJwho fashioned silver for both churches and synagogues as weil as for manyprominent individuals. Accordingto the inscriptionon the each base, the sticks were a gift to Catharine underside of Livingstonffom Peter and SarahVanBrugh, her grandparents.She probably received the set in 1759, when she marriedJohnLawrence. H. 101/s inches. Sansbury-Mills Fund, 1972 (1972.3.1abs2);1977 (1977. 88) 64.J

66. Castfoliatescrollsandshells,embellished bychasing, createthe fanciful formof thiselaboratesnufferstandmade about1755-70 byPhilipSyng,Jr.,of Philadelphia andengravedwiththe crestof the Hamilton family.A scissorlike snufferwouldhaverestedon the tray,andthe standmight haveoriginally accompanied a set of candlesticks similarto thoseinfig. 64. L. 73/4inches.Bequestof CharlesAllen Munn,1924(24.109.39) 67., 68. A delicate,vitalRocococreation,thisrareAmericanbasketis a superblyintegratedcomposition of pierced patternsandcastandchasedornament.Modeledcloselyafter its Englishcontemporaries, it was madeabout1760-70by MyerMyersof NewYorkandis engravedwiththe monogram ssc forSamuelandSusannah(Mabson)Cornell,wealthy patronsfromNewYorkandNewBern,NorthCarolina. The inscription onthe undersideindicatesthe basketdescended to theirdaughterHannahuponhermarriageto HermanLe Royof NewYorkin 1786.L. 141/2inches.MorrisK.Jesup Fund,1954(54.167)

panels,whilethe wavy bandsof repoussebeads, echoing the pattern of the gadrooning,extend beyondthe panelsinto the solidbottom,whichis monogrammed ina floweryscriptbefittingthe grace of the piece. Whilepiercingproducedobjectsof an airyelegance,the richestdecorativeeffects were achievedby repousseandchaseddesigns.Patterns of flowersandleaves combinedwith scrollswere ruffled, themostpopular. Alsousedwasanirregular, ribbonlikemotif seen at the top of the lid of the sugarbowl(fig. 69), whose birdfinialis in keeping withthe naturalistic tendenciesof the style. Elaboraterepousseworkalsoadornsthegoldtoy(fig.70), whichis as fully expressive of the currentstyle as anyformof the period.Consistingof a whistle, a piece of teethingcoral,andbells, these toys, alreadyknownin the seventeenthcentury,became popularin the coloniesin the eighteenthandwere moreoften madeof silverthangold. Relativelyfew colonialitems of goldare known, thoughtheir productionis documentedfrom the seventeenthcenturyon. Theywereallsmallarticles: primarily jewelry,buckles,buttons,thimbles,and the like. Particularlypopularwere rings; funeral rings,customarily givento the minister,pallbearers, relatives,andclose friendsof the deceased, were madeingreatnumbers.Ona somewhatlargerscale were luxuryitems such as the coraland bells as wellas boxes meantto holdsnuffor patchesor, on occasion,to be officiallypresentedwith "thefreedomof the city."Smallwareswereoftennotmarked so that little gold has survivedthat can be documentedas American. Especiallyfromthe mid-century on, newspapers advertisedthat quantitiesof such smallerobjects, both importedand locally made, were for sale. Whetherin goldor silver,it was "smallwork"that constitutedthe silversmith's regularbusiness,along with a steady flow of repairsfrom polishingand takingout "bruises"to replacinghandlesandlids. The objectsreportedstolenout of the shopof BostonsilversmithJoseph Edwards,Jr.,in March1765 were allon the smallside andrepresentthe types of waresthatmightbe kepton handin a showcase. The largeritemsof silverweretwo peppercasters, twelve teaspoonsandtwo largerspoons, a punch ladle, anda creampot. These were all described as beingstampedwithJosephEdwards'smarkand hadthereforebeen madein his shop. If therewere markson anyof the othermissingitems oversixty

pairsof silverbuckles,three gold necklaces,five gold rings, and other jewelry,in additionto two snuffboxes,threechild'swhistles,anda silverpipe - thatfactis not mentioned,andmanywereprobably imported. Largeobjectswereless likelyto be in stocksince they representeda greaterinvestmentin precious metal,andoutstandingpieces of hollowwaresuch as manyof those illustratedin thispublication were most oftenmadeto order.Onthe otherhand,with the steadilyincreasingimportation of plateat midcenturyto helpfillthe ever greaterdemand,larger articlessuchas tea- andcoffeepots"justimported

fromLondon" were alsobeingsoldby silversmiths. These importedwares as well as those ordered directlyfromEnglandby privateindividualswere the primaryvehiclesfor stylisticchange. The rareRocococandlesticksinfig. 64, madeby MyerMyersof New York,closely followthe contemporaryEnglishstyle andan importedpiece no doubtservedas the modelfor them. The factthat Myerscouldproduceobjectsin the latest London fashionandformsnot commonlymadehere most likely helped him win the patronageof Samuel Cornell,a nativeof New Yorkwho movedto North Carolinain the 1750s andbecame"themost opu-

lentmerchant" of thatcolony.Thanksto thiswealthy clientMyershadthe opportunity to maketheMetropolitan'ssplendidbasket(see figs. 67,68) andalso, amongseveralpiecesinothercollections,a pierced dishringanda pairof openworkcoasters,allexceptionalformsin colonialsilver whose designmust havebeen basedon importedexamples. Immigrantcraftsmenalso playedan important role in the transmittalof styles. DanielChristian Fueter, whose elegant salver is shown (fig. 71), workedin Switzerlandand Londonbeforecoming to New Yorkin 1754. Withhis knowledgeof currentEuropeandesignhe couldconvincingly advertise thathe, "latelyarrived.. . fromLondon,"could make"allsorts of GoldandSilverwork,afterthe newest and neatest Fashion."The very skillfully engravedarms in the center of the salver could havebeen done by Fueteror by a specialistin his ownor anothershop. In 1769, actuallythe yearhe returnedto England,Fueteradvertisedthathe had workingwithhima chaserfromGeneva.Although the master'smarkwas put on objectsproducedin his shop,he didnotnecessarilyhavea handin making all of them. A silversmithmighthave one or moreapprentices to helpwiththe moremenialwork and additionalexperiencedworkers,all of whose contributions wouldremainanonymous.The latter couldbe locallytrainedmenwholackedthe means to set up theirownbusinessesor immigrant silversmithswhowere not ableto establishthemselves. Shopworkersmightalsobe indentured servantsor, particularly inthe South,blackslaveswhohadbeen trainedas silversmiths.Some of these men might havespecialskillssuchas jewelry-or watchmaking, or engraving.

69. The emphaticcurves of this double-belliedsugar bowl andits rich repousse decorationreflect the extravaganceof fullydeveloped Rococo designs. Here the repousse patternof naturalisticflowers and scrollingleaves is disposed into rather compactbands, while on other Rococo pieces such ornament mightbe more freely arranged.The bowl was made in New Yorkabout 1760-75 byJacob Boelen II (1733-1786), his grandfather'snamesake and the thirdgenerationof silversmiths in the family.H. 5/1/2inches. Rogers Fund, 1939 (39.23) 70. Perhapsa lavish christeninggift, this gold whistle and bells with coralwas made by Nicholas Roosevelt about 175565 in New York,where the few knowncolonialexamples in gold originated.A loop behindthe whistle allowedthe toy to be hungfroma chainor ribbon,usuallyfromthe child'swaist. Whatappearto be teeth marks on the whistle wouldindicate that this piece saw active use; six of the originaleight bells remain.L. 61/8inches. Rogers Fund, 1947 (47. 70)

Though silversmithsoften performeda wide rangeof work,theywerenot allequallyadeptin all branchesandsome reliedon others for particular aspectsof thetrade.TheRocococreampotinfig. 60 was fashionedby BenjaminBurt of Boston, who is knownto havesent his silverto be engravedbya fellowcraftsman,NathanielHurd(1729/30-1777), who in all probability cut the coat of armson this piece. Hurdis better knowntodayfor his numerous heraldicbookplates,whose skillfulexecutionis mirroredin his armorialson silver,thanforhis limitedproduction of plate.The patriotPaulRevereII wasanotherBostonsilversmith of the Rococoperiod whoengravedsilverforothersand,likeHurd,made copperplatesforpapercurrency,tradecards,billheads,andthe like.The best-knowncolonialsmith ofversatiletalents,Reverenotonlyworkedinmetals anddidthe moreroutineprintingjobs but also engravedscenicviews, portraits,andpoliticalprints. The production of silverunderstandably declined duringthe years of the Revolution;no entries for silversmithingare recordedin PaulRevere'sday-

books from 1775 to 1780. The hiatuscreatedby the Revolutioncoincidedwith the waningof the Rococotaste in silver, so that when the demand for plateresumedafterthe war anotherstyle was emerging.Naturallythe changewas gradualand someRococoformslingeredonintothefirstyearsof the newly independentnation.The inverted-pear shapeof a coffeepotprobablymade 1780-90 (fig. 72), the scroll-and-leaf decorationof its spout,and its elaboratelycurvedhandleare allpartof the Rococo vocabularyas is the gadrooningon foot and cover,a motifthatwas reintroduced in the 1760s. Onthe otherhand,the urnfinial,the restrainedengravingof ribbonsandwreath,andthe attenuation of the formall reflectthe neoclassicaltaste of the earlyFederalperiod,whichembracedat the same time a new formof governmentanda new style.

71. Made in New Yorkbetween 1754 and 1769 by Daniel ChristianFueter (1720-1785), this large salver has a beautifullyshaped rim of lively conjoinedcurves edged with fine gadrooning.A delicate cartouche engraved with exceptional sureness encloses the Provost familyarms. Salvers supported on three or four small cast feet first became popularin the second quarterof the eighteenth century, and duringthe Rococo period their curvilinearoutlines were echoed in the "piecrust"edges of contemporarytea tables. Diam. 155/8 inches. Bequest of CharlesAllen Munn, 1924. (24.109.37) 72. On this splendidRococo coffeepot a high domed lid complements the harmoniouscurves of the body, andthe fancifulscrolls of the handlebalancethe rich ornamentof the spout. Fashionedby EphraimBrasher (1744-1810) of New Yorkabout 1780-90, when the early Federal style was becomingestablished, the piece has an urn finialandengraving in the newer neoclassical fashion, which, like the earlier styles, relied primarilyon English precedent. The oval reserve was meant to hold a script monogram. H. 131/4inches. Bequest of AlphonsoT. Clearwater,1933 (33.120.223)

y /

9's\

NOTES

FORFURTHER READING

P:3 RichardBealeDavis,ed., WilliamFitzhughandHis ChesXeakeWorld,1676-1701, TheFitzhugh Lettersand OtherDocuments. ChapelHill,N.C., 1963,p. 246.

Avery,C. Louise.EarlyAmerican Silver.NewYorkand London,1930.Reprint.NewYork,1968.

P.3 Woolman: QuotedinMarthaGandyFales,Joseph Richardson andFamily,Philadelphia Silversmiths. Middletown, Ct., 1974,p. 67. P.4 1652law:QuotedinSylvesterS. Crosby,TheEarly CoinsofAmerica.Boston,1875,p. 44.

Buhler,KathrynC.AmericanSilver.Cleveland andNew York,1950. Fales,MarthaGandy.EarlyAmerican Silver.New York, 1970. Hood,Grahan.American Silver:A HistotyofSWle,1650-1900. NewYork,1971.

P.5 Documents RelativetotheColonialHistoryof theStateof New York(Albany, 1853-87).Vol.4, ed. byE. B. O'Callaghan, Phillips,JohnMarshall. AmericanSilver.New York,1949. 1854,p. 304 ("anest of pirates"),p. 532 ("Arabian gold"and priceof rum). Ward,BarbaraMcLeanandGeraldW.R., eds. Silverin AmericanLife.Exh.cat., AmericanFederation of Arts,New P:6 Localordinance: QuotedinKathrynC. Buhler,American York,1979. Silver.Cleveland andNew York,1950,p. 9. P.6 William Howardadvertisement: AlfredCoxePrime, comp.,TheArtsandCraftsinPhiladelphia,Maryland,and SouthCarolina,1721-1785, Gleanings fromNewspapers. Topsfield,Mass., 1929,p. 70. P.8 ElizabethGlover:QuotedinJonathan L. Fairbanks et al., NewEnglandBegins:TheSeventeenth Century.Exh. cat., Museumof FineArts,Boston,1982,vol. 3, p. 481. P.30 Richardson: Quotedin Fales,p. 54. P.37 Fitzhugh:Davis(ed.), p. 246. P.37 ". . . goingrate":QuotedinFales,p. 7. Pp. 38-39 "Already in 1673. . . ":QuotedinJohnMarshall Phillips,AmericanSilver.NewYork,1949,p. 47. P.39 Lansingadvertisement: RitaSussweinGottesman, comp.,TheArtsandCraftsinNewYork,1726-1776,Adver-

tisementsandNewsItemsfromNew YorkCityNewspapers. NewYork,1938,p. 36. P.43 1670description:Quotedin Phillips,p. 50. Pp. 50-52 "Theobjectsreportedstolen. . . ":George FrancisDow,comp.,TheArtsandCraftsinNewEngland,

1704-1775, Gleanings fromBostonNewspapers. Topsfield, Mass., 1927,pp. 44-45. P.52 "themostopulentmerchant": Descriptionof Cornell byGovernorMartinof NorthCarolina in 1775,citedin introduction to PapersRelatingtoSamuelCornell,North CarolinaLoyalist.New York,1913. P.53 Fueteradvertisement: Gottesman(comp.),p. 41.

Insidebackcover:Detailof repoussedesignon bowlfig. 13