Vinaigrette
Gervase Wheeler whose mark was registered in Birmingham in 1831, ran a successful business in that city. His work is represented in The Met’s holdings by two purse-shaped vinaigrettes (1983,575.19 and .49), both with twisted rope handles. Here, the front and back are pricked with basket-weave decoration. The hinged cover is decorated with bright-cut leaf design, the interior with a foliate pierced grille.
A vinaigrette was intended to hold a tiny sponge dipped in aromatic vinegar. Its interior Is gilded to protect the silver from oxidation caused by the acidity of the vinegar. A hinged and decoratively pierced inner lid or grille kept the sponge in place while its perforations allowed the odor to waft through. A whiff of the vinegar might revive someone from a fainting spell. Such vinaigrettes were worn around the neck, on a chatelaine suspended from the waist, or carried in a pocket.
A vinaigrette was intended to hold a tiny sponge dipped in aromatic vinegar. Its interior Is gilded to protect the silver from oxidation caused by the acidity of the vinegar. A hinged and decoratively pierced inner lid or grille kept the sponge in place while its perforations allowed the odor to waft through. A whiff of the vinegar might revive someone from a fainting spell. Such vinaigrettes were worn around the neck, on a chatelaine suspended from the waist, or carried in a pocket.
Artwork Details
- Title: Vinaigrette
- Maker: Gervase Wheeler (British, registered in 1831)
- Date: 1829
- Culture: British, Birmingham
- Medium: Silver
- Dimensions: Length: 1 in. (2.5 cm)
- Classification: Metalwork-Silver
- Credit Line: Gift of Herbert K. Reis, in memory of Rose-Frances K. Reis (Mrs. Ralph A. Reis), 1983
- Object Number: 1983.575.49
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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