Covered Dish
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Overall: 6 3/8 x 11 7/8 x 7 1/8 in. (16.2 x 30.2 x 18.1 cm); 41 oz. 10 dwt. (1290.2 g) Body: 3 11/16 in. (9.4 cm); 29 oz. 10 dwt. (918.3 g) Cover: 2 13/16 x 7 1/4 x 5 3/8 in. (7.1 x 18.4 x 13.7 cm); 11 oz. 19 dwt. (371.9 g)
Classification
Dish
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Anonymous Gift, 1986
Accession Number
1986.447.3a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant covered dish, crafted around 1883 by the John T. Vansant Manufacturing Company Philadelphia, exemplifies the refined silverwork of late 19th-century America. Measuring 6 3/8 x 11 7/8 x 7 1/8 inches and weighing a substantial 41 ounces, this hefty piece was designed for gracious dining, likely to serve vegetables, preserves, or sweets at the table. Made of high-quality silver, its dome-shaped cover and oval body reflect the technical prowess of American silversmiths during the Victorian era, when such hollowware became status symbols in affluent households. Adorned with floral mot...