Oil Lamp
Unknown Artist
1790–1800
Medium
Sheffield silver plate
Dimensions
H. 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm)
Classification
Oil lamp
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of the Members of the Committee of the Bertha King Benkard Memorial Fund, 1946
Accession Number
46.67.57a–c
Art Historical Context
This elegant oil lamp, crafted between 1790 and 1800 from Sheffield silver plate, stands at an impressive 14¾ inches (37.5 cm) high, making it a striking fixture for a mantel or table. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, it exemplifies the refined decorative arts of the Federal period in America. The unknown maker harnessed Sheffield plate—a groundbreaking British innovation from the mid-18th century— sheets of copper were fusion-plated with silver, creating a durable, affordable alternative to solid silver for the growing middle class. Sheffield plate's sheen and heft m...