Cream jug

Cream jug by Samuel Meriton

Medium

Silver

Dimensions

Height: 4 in. (10.2 cm)

Classification

Metalwork-Silver

Culture

British, London

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Bequest of Alphonso T. Clearwater, 1933

Accession Number

33.120.28

Tags

Flowers

Art Historical Context

In the opulent world of 18th-century British silverware, Samuel Meriton's cream jug from 1754–55 as a delicate gem of Georgian craftsmanship. Crafted in London, this petite silver vessel, standing just 4 inches tall, was designed for the refined ritual of tea service—a daily indulgence among the upper classes. Its floral motifs, elegantly chased or engraved into the surface, evoke the naturalistic exuberance of the Rococo style, which flourished in mid-1700s Europe with its playful curves and organic forms. Meriton, a skilled London silversmith, exemplifies the era's mastery of metalwork tech...

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