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Ewer

1784–85
Not on view
The draped garlands below the rim, the scrolling bands of arabesques in the middle, and the water leaves above the foot of this ewer are standard Neoclassical motifs typically found on late eighteenth-century French silver. The unexpected feature of the ewer, however, is the handle in the form of Narcissus emerging from a pedestal. The half bust of Narcissus is placed so that he leans forward, gazing down at the undecorated but highly reflective surface of the hinged cover. The three-dimensional representation of the Narcissus story, very cleverly conceived, distinguishes this ewer as an exceptional example of French silver of the late eighteenth century.
The ewer would have been accompanied originally by a basin, and both would have been used for washing as part of the daily ritual and grooming known in France as la toilette.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Ewer
  • Maker: Jean-Baptiste-François Chéret (1728, master 1759, recorded up to 1791)
  • Date: 1784–85
  • Culture: French, Paris
  • Medium: Silver
  • Dimensions: Height: 12 15/16 in. (32.9 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Silver
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1980
  • Object Number: 1980.79
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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Pair of candelabra, Jean-Baptiste-François Chéret, Silver, French, Paris
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Pair of candlesticks, Jean-Baptiste-François Chéret, Silver, French, Paris
Pair of candlesticks
Jean-Baptiste-François Chéret
1767–68
Mustard pot or milk pot, Jean-Baptiste-François Chéret, Silver, French, Paris
Mustard pot or milk pot
Jean-Baptiste-François Chéret
1763–64
Tureen with cover and liner, Jacques-Nicolas Roettiers, Silver, French, Paris
Tureen with cover and liner
Jacques-Nicolas Roettiers
1775–76
Coffeepot, François Thomas Germain French, Silver with ebony handle, French, Paris
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François Thomas Germain
1757

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