Ewer and Basin
c. 1720
Medium
Gilded silver
Dimensions
Ewer: 26.7 × 10.5 × 21 cm (10 1/2 × 4 1/8 × 8 1/4 in.); Basin: 3.9 × 52.3 cm (1 1/2 × 20 9/16 in.)
Classification
ewer (vessel)
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
40074
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
A ewer and basin was a necessity for cleaning oneself in 17th- and 18th-century homes, and the choice of materials was an important indicator of a household’s status. Pewter and brass were fine for those who could not afford anything grander, but silver gilt, of which this ewer and basin are made, represented the ultimate in aristocratic luxury. When not in use, such sets were kept in the plate room, where a family’s most splendid metalwork was displayed. In periods of financial hardship, silver...