Cabinet S: Shelf 1

American Silver

In Colonial America luxury silver items were imported from Europe, but by the late seventeenth century American silversmiths had begun to produce domestic wares; many of these emulated the aesthetics of British and Northern European design and ornament. An increase in the demand for and production of elegant dining silverware was caused by both the Tariff of 1842, which imposed heavy taxes on imported goods such as silver, and the flourishing economy following the Civil War. As the industry grew from local workshops to large factories, manufacturers such as Kirk & Sons and Tiffany & Company were established.

Kirk & Sons, one of the oldest American silver manufacturers, was founded in 1815 in Baltimore, Maryland. Their work became renowned for its high-quality, durability, and ornate beauty. Kirk reintroduced to American silver-making the tradition of repoussé, in which a surface pattern is created by beating or applying force to the reverse side of the metal, producing a design in high relief. The popularity of Kirk & Sons’ work reflected the emergence of the Rococo Revival style in nineteenth-century America, which was characterized by elaborate decoration and ornamental opulence.

During the nineteenth century the role of the designer became more important in silversmithing. Tiffany & Company, founded in 1837 by Charles Louis Tiffany (the father of Louis Comfort Tiffany, renowned for his glasswork and jewelry) employed a succession of highly influential and skilled designers, and soon became well known for creating beautiful pieces, whose elegant and timeless designs remain popular even today.

Two-handled cup with stemmed foot, square handles and opulent repoussé decoration
Samuel Kirk
Sugar Bowl, from six piece silver coffee and tea service
silver
7 13/16 x 7 5/16 in. (19.8 x 18.5 cm)
Gift of Mrs. George G. Cameron
Tall, narrow silver pot with long spout, finial-topped lid, square handle and opulent repoussé decoration
Samuel Kirk
Coffee pot, from six piece silver coffee and tea service
silver
13 9/16 x 10 3/8 x 5 1/8 in. (34.4 x 26.3 x 13 cm);13 9/16 x 10 3/8 x 5 1/8 in. (34.4 x 26.3 x 13 cm)
Gift of Mrs. George G. Cameron
Pitcher-shaped silver vessel with square handle and opulent repoussé decoration
Samuel Kirk
Creamer, from six piece silver coffee and tea service
silver
8 13/16 x 4 11/16 in. (22.3 x 11.8 cm)
Gift of Mrs. George G. Cameron
Silver teakettle and stand with hinged handle and opulent repoussé decoration
Samuel Kirk
Hot water kettle with stand, from six piece silver coffee and tea service
silver

Gift of Mrs. George G. Cameron
Five-tined engraved silver fork with ivory handle
Hatton Works (Wilson and Davis)
Fork, from a two-piece fish server
silver with ivory handle
10 1/16 in. ( 25.6 cm )
Gift of Colonel and Mrs. Thomas M. Spaulding
Knife engraved with leaf pattern and ivory handle
Hatton Works (Wilson and Davis)
Knife, from a two-piece fish server
silver with ivory handle
13 in. ( 33 cm )
Gift of Colonel and Mrs. Thomas M. Spaulding
Silver vessel with bowl-shaped body, stemmed foot and opulent repoussé decoration
Samuel Kirk
Slop bowl, from six piece silver coffee and tea service
silver
5 5/16 x 6 3/8 in. (13.4 x 16.1 cm)
Gift of Mrs. George G. Cameron
Short, squat silver pot with short spout, finial-topped lid, tall square handle and opulent repoussé decoration
Samuel Kirk
Teapot, from six piece silver coffee and tea service
silver
8 7/8 x 10 3/4 in. (22.4 x 27.2 cm)
Gift of Mrs. George G. Cameron

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Cabinet A: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet A: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet A: Shelf 3
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet B: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet B: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet B: Shelf 3
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet C: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet C: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet C: Shelf 3
<p>Inkwells </p>

Cabinet D: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet D: Shelf 2
<p>Inkwells </p>

Cabinet D: Shelf 3
<p>Inkwells </p>

Cabinet E: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the James Marshall Plumer Collec...

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<p>Selections from the James Marshall Plumer Collec...

Cabinet E: Shelf 3
<p>Selections from the James Marshall Plumer Collec...

Cabinet F: Shelf 1
<p>Mortuary Art from China </p>

Cabinet F: Shelf 2
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet F: Shelf 3
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet G: Shelf 1
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet G: Shelf 2
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet G: Shelf 3 
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet H: Shelf 1
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet H: Shelf 2
<p>Mortuary Art from China </p>

Cabinet H: Shelf 3
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet I: Shelf 1
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet I: Shelf 2
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet I: Shelf 3
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet J: Shelf 1
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet J: Shelf 2
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet J: Shelf 3
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet K: Shelf 1
<p>Religious Sculpture from India</p>

Cabinet K: Shelf 2
<p>Religious Sculpture from India</p>

Cabinet K: Shelf 3
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet L: Shelf 1
<p>Blue-and-White Porcelain and Stoneware</p>

Cabinet L: Shelf 2
<p>Blue-and-White Porcelain and Stoneware</p>

Cabinet L: Shelf 3
<p>Blue-and-White Porcelain and Stoneware</p>

Cabinet M: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Dora and William Hunter Coll...

Cabinet M: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Dora and William Hunter Coll...

Cabinet M: Shelf 3
<p>Blue-and-White Porcelain and Stoneware</p>

Cabinet N: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Margaret Watson Parker Colle...

Cabinet N: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Margaret Watson Parker Colle...

Cabinet N: Shelf 3
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet O: Shelf 1
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet O: Shelf 2
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet O: Shelf 3
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet P: Shelf 1
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet P: Shelf 2
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet P: Shelf 3
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet Q: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Ellen and Richard Laing Coll...

Cabinet Q: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Ellen and Richard Laing Coll...

Cabinet Q: Shelf 3
<p>Selections from the Ellen and Richard Laing Coll...

Cabinet Q: Shelf 4
<p>American Plaster Casts</p>

Cabinet R: Shelf 1
<p>American Plaster Casts</p>

Cabinet R: Shelf 2
<p>Apostle Spoons and American Silver</p>

Cabinet R: Shelf 3
<p>Modernist Glass and American Art Pottery</p>

Cabinet R: Shelf 4
<p>American Plaster Casts</p>

Cabinet S: Shelf 1
<p>American Silver</p>

Cabinet S: Shelf 2
<p>Tiffany Glass</p>

Cabinet S: Shelf 3
<p>American Silver</p>

Cabinet T: Shelf 1
<p>American Art Pottery</p>

Cabinet T: Shelf 2
<p>American Art Pottery</p>

Cabinet T: Shelf 3
<p>Native American Art</p>

Cabinet U: Shelf 1
<p>American Art Pottery</p>

Cabinet U: Shelf 2
<p>American Art Pottery</p>

Cabinet U: Shelf 3
<p>Native American Art</p>

Cabinet V: Shelf 1
<p>The Human Figure in African Art</p>

Cabinet V: Shelf 2
<p>African Miniature Masks</p>

Cabinet V: Shelf 3
<p>African Masks and Masquerades</p>

Cabinet W: Shelf 1
<p>The Head in African Art</p>

Cabinet W: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Helmut Stern Collection</p>

Cabinet W: Shelf 3
<p>Selections from the Helmut Stern Collection</p>

Cabinet W: Shelf 4
<p>African Masks and Masquerades</p>

Cabinet X: Shelf 1
<p>Modern Sculpture</p>

Cabinet X: Shelf 2
<p>Modern Sculpture</p>

Cabinet X: Shelf 3
<p>Modern Sculpture</p>

Cabinet X: Shelf 4
<p>Modern Sculpture</p>

Cabinet Y: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Fusfeld Art Collection</p>

Cabinet Y: Shelf 2
<p>Contemporary Art</p>

Cabinet Y: Shelf 3
<p>Contemporary Art</p>

Cabinet Y: Shelf 4
<p>Contemporary Art</p>

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June 8, 2020 1:40 p.m.

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