Caster
1750–70
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Overall: 5 x 1 15/16 in. (12.7 x 4.9 cm); 3 oz. 6 dwt. (102.5 g) Foot: Diam. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm) Body: H. 2 13/16 in. (7.1 cm); 2 oz. 6 dwt (71.7 g) Cover: H. 2 7/16 in. (6.2 cm); 1 oz. (30.8 g)
Classification
Caster
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Alphonso T. Clearwater, 1933
Accession Number
33.120.213
Art Historical Context
Welcome to The American Wing, where this exquisite silver caster by Mark Nelson (active mid-18th century) us to colonial America around 1750–70. Crafted from gleaming weighing a precise 3 oz. 6 dwt. (102.5 g), it stands just 5 inches tall, with a foot of 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Casters like this were essential tableware for affluent households, used to sprinkle sugar, salt, or spices during meals—a mark of refined hospitality in era when silver symbolized wealth and status. Mark Nelson, a skilled American silversmith, exemplifies the craftsmanship of the period, when artisans drew inspirati...