Creamer
1785–1800
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Overall: 7 3/8 x 5 1/4 in. (18.7 x 13.3 cm); 7 oz. 9 dwt. (232 g) Foot: 2 3/8 x 2 3/8 in. (6 x 6 cm)
Classification
Cream pot
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Annie Clarkson, 1927
Accession Number
27.85.5
Art Historical Context
This elegant silver creamer, crafted by New York silversmith Daniel Voorhis between 1785 and 1800, exemplifies the refined domestic silver of the early American republic. Measuring 7 3/8 x 5 1/4 inches and weighing about 7 ounces, it features a classic pear-shaped form with a graceful spout and handle, ideal for serving cream in tea rituals that symbolized emerging American gentility. Van Voorhis, active in-Revolutionary New York, produced pieces like this for affluent households, blending European neoclassical influences with local craftsmanship. Silver was a prized medium in late 18th-centu...