Case for Set of Ten Gilt Demitasse Spoons
Medium
containers
Classification
containers
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Dona Guimaraes
Accession Number
1986-113-12
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This elegant case, crafted by the renowned Gorham Manufacturing Company of Providence, Rhode Island, in 1880, was designed to house a set of ten gilt demitasse spoons. in 1818, Gorham rose to prominence during America's Gilded Age as a leading producer of fine silverware and luxury goods, blending European influences with innovative American manufacturing techniques. The case itself exemplifies the era's emphasis on opulent presentation, protecting delicate after-dinner coffee spoons—demitasse meaning "half cup" in French—that were essential to formal Victorian entertaining. As a container in...