Ewer and Plateau

Retailer Spaulding and Company American
1901
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 706
This magnificent ewer and plateau, hand hammered into undulating forms and decorated in repoussé with swirling waves, plants, and female figures, recall Dutch Mannerist silver of the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The soft, misty finish was achieved by hammering. The ensemble was retailed by Spaulding and Company, a Gorham affiliate based in Chicago. A closely related set was exhibited in 1900 at the Exposition Universelle in Paris.

"Martelé" was a term applied to a line of art silver introduced in 1900 by Gorham. It was considered the finest expression of the Art Nouveau style in America. The ewer and plateau, hand-hammered into undulating forms and decorated in repoussé with swirling waves, plants, and female figures, are particularly successful examples of Martelé silver.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Ewer and Plateau
  • Maker: Gorham Manufacturing Company (American, Providence, Rhode Island, 1831–present)
  • Retailer: Spaulding and Company
  • Date: 1901
  • Geography: Made in Providence, Rhode Island, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Silver
  • Dimensions: Overall: 19 1/16 x 8 3/4 x 6 3/8 in. (48.4 x 22.2 x 16.2 cm); 64 oz. 9 dwt. (2005.6 g)
    Plateau: 2 5/16 x 17 1/4 in. (5.9 x 43.8 cm); 67 oz. 2 dwt. (2086.5 g)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh J. Grant, 1974
  • Object Number: 1974.214.26a, b
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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4528. Ewer and Plateau

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