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Coffee or Tea Service

A work made of silver.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of silver.

Date:

1870–73

Artist:

Webster Manufacturing Company
American, 1859–1873
Brooklyn, N.Y.

About this artwork

The Brooklyn firm Webster Manufacturing Company was one of many silver manufacturers in the New York region serving the burgeoning consumer society of the late 19th century. This coffee or tea service was typical of the company’s products, which were primarily silver hollowware. The use of electroplating and a drop in the price of silver during the period made merchandise like this affordable to a much wider population than ever before. Moreover, electroplating added value to functional, everyday objects, an aim of the Aesthetic movement, the influence of which can also be seen in the strong geometric style visible in these pieces’ legs and handles.

Status

On View, Gallery 176

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

E. G. Webster and Son

Title

Coffee or Tea Service

Place

Brooklyn (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. 1870–1873

Medium

Silver

Dimensions

Coffeepot H: H.: 29.8 cm (11 3/4 in.); Sugar basin H: H.: 22.9 cm (9 in.); Milk pot H: H.: 5.3 cm (6 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. Julian A. Altman

Reference Number

1989.436.1-3

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/90585/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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