Sugar bowl

Art Historical Context

This elegant sugar bowl, crafted around 1780–85 in Sheffield plate, exemplifies British innovation in 18th-century metalwork. Sheffield plate, developed in the mid-1700s by Thomas Boulver in Sheffield, England, fused thin sheets of silver onto a copper core through a rolling process. This technique produced the luster of solid silver at a fraction of the cost, making luxurious tableware accessible to the growing middle class during the Georgian era. Measuring just 3½ × 3 inches, this compact vessel was likely part of a tea service, reflecting Britain's booming tea culture fueled by the Britis...