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Pair of Sauceboats

A work made of silver.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of silver.

Date:

c. 1830

Artist:

Thomas Fletcher (American, 1787–1866)
Philadelphia

About this artwork

Made by preeminent Philadelphia silversmith Thomas Fletcher, this pair of sauceboats reflects not only the vogue for French-inspired classical designs but also significant advances in the industrial and technological production of silver that took place in the 19th century. Coinciding with the American industrial revolution, silver making became increasingly mechanized through the introduction of flat rolled silver and die-rolled bands—three of which appear as decorative borders on each sauceboat. The elegant oval bodies with upswept spouts are typical neoclassical forms; however, the handles add distinct flourish: the bold yet refined bud-shaped handles have no known precedent and are original to Fletcher.

Status

On View, Gallery 172

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Thomas Fletcher

Title

Pair of Sauceboats

Place

Philadelphia (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

c. 1830

Medium

Silver

Inscriptions

Marked on bottom of each object, in oval: T.FLETCHER / PHILAD.; engraved beneath each spout: T.

Dimensions

Ea. 21.3 × 22.9 × 10.5 cm (8 3/8 × 9 × 4 1/8 in.); 2013.71.1: 840.5 g; 2013.71.2: 855.3 g

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by the Antiquarian Society

Reference Number

2013.71.1-2

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/218166/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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