Cream jug
1754–55
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
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...