A Mexican-born silversmith, Juan Pliego settled in New York in 1965 and studied silversmithing with master silversmith William Seitz at the YMCA on Eighth Avenue and Fiftieth Street. Pliego soon became Seitz's assistant and replaced him as instructor in 1974. In 1980, Pliego established his own studio, the J. P. Crafts Studio, on East Twenty-first Street. Many of his objects incorporate precious and semi-precious stones, such as amethyst, opal, chalcedony, sapphire, malachite, lapis lazuli, and jade. Pliego's exquisite boxes also incorporate gold and other metals, resins, and enamel. His influences were far-ranging, from Aztec and Mayan design-a nod to his Central American roots-to Egyptian metalwork, discovered during his travels around the Mediterranean and in Asia. In 2000, Pliego donated nearly all the objects he made during his career to the Historical Society: fifty-three small boxes and forty-three additional objects including bowls, goblets, and a coffee set.

The intials engraved in the reserves refer to John Bradstreet Schuyler (1765-1795) and Elizabeth Van Rensselaer (1768-1841), who married in Albany in 1787.

These entree dishes were part of an elaborate silver dinner service of twenty-two matching platters, plates, and dishes, along with an assortment of French, English, and American forks, spoons, and knives, assembled by Robert Lenox (1759-1839), a prominent New York shipping merchant and real estate investor. A silver service of this size was impressive by American standards, and Lenox's purchase probably stood out among those of his peers. As a successful shipping merchant, Lenox had frequent contact with English agents, and could easily have arranged the purchase of the service. As evidenced by the varying date letters, the service was probably not a special order but gathered from stock or acquired over a period of time.

This entree dish was part of an elaborate silver dinner service of twenty-two matching platters, plates, and dishes, along with an assortment of French, English, and American forks, spoons, and knives, assembled by Robert Lenox (1759-1839), a prominent New York shipping merchant and real estate investor. A silver service of this size was impressive by American standards, and Lenox's purchase probably stood out among those of his peers. As a successful shipping merchant, Lenox had frequent contact with English agents, and could easily have arranged the purchase of the service. As evidenced by the varying date letters, the service was probably not a special order but gathered from stock or acquired over a period of time.

This platter was part of an elaborate silver dinner service of twenty-two matching platters, plates, and dishes, along with an assortment of French, English, and American forks, spoons, and knives, assembled by Robert Lenox (1759-1839), a prominent New York shipping merchant and real estate investor. A silver service of this size was impressive by American standards, and Lenox's purchase probably stood out among those of his peers. As a successful shipping merchant, Lenox had frequent contact with English agents, and could easily have arranged the purchase of the service. As evidenced by the varying date letters, the service was probably not a special order but gathered from stock or acquired over a period of time.

This entree dish was part of an elaborate silver dinner service of twenty-two matching platters, plates, and dishes, along with an assortment of French, English, and American forks, spoons, and knives, assembled by Robert Lenox (1759-1839), a prominent New York shipping merchant and real estate investor. A silver service of this size was impressive by American standards, and Lenox's purchase probably stood out among those of his peers. As a successful shipping merchant, Lenox had frequent contact with English agents, and could easily have arranged the purchase of the service. As evidenced by the varying date letters, the service was probably not a special order but gathered from stock or acquired over a period of time.