Pair of Sauceboats
c. 1830
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Ea. 21.3 × 22.9 × 10.5 cm (8 3/8 × 9 × 4 1/8 in.); 2013.71.1: 840.5 g; 2013.71.2: 855.3 g
Classification
dish (vessel)
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
218166
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Made by preeminent Philadelphia silversmith Thomas Fletcher, this pair of sauceboats reflects not only the vogue for French-inspired classical designs but also significant advances in the industrial and technological production of silver that took place in the 19th century. Coinciding with the American industrial revolution, silver making became increasingly mechanized through the introduction of flat rolled silver and die-rolled bands—three of which appear as decorative borders on each sauceboa...
About the Artist
Thomas Fletcher · 1787–1866
Thomas Fletcher (1787–1866) was a leading American silversmith whose career bridged the early republic's artisanal traditions and the burgeoning market for grand presentation silver. Born on April 3, 1787, in Alstead, New Hampshire, to Timothy Fletcher and Hannah Fosdick, his early life and training remain not well documented, with no records of formal apprenticeships or mentors identified.) By 18...