Tea infuser
Classification:
Date:
ca. 1900
Medium:
Silver
Dimensions:
Overall: 2 1/8 x 1 1/2 in. ( 5.4 x 3.8 cm )
Description:
Cast and wrought silver tea infuser; egg-shaped body with an all over hammered surface; hinged lid; chain with terminal ring applied to the top; makers' marks stamped on the bezel.
Credit Line:
Gift of the Estate of Mildred S. Rosenberg, Queens, New York
Object Number:
1988.41
Marks:
stamped: on the bezel: a cross between "STERLING" and "2371"
Date Begin:
0
Date End:
1900
eMuseum Object ID:
36414
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
Vegetable dishes with covers
Classification:
Date:
1791/92
Medium:
Silver
Dimensions:
each overall: 5 1/2 x 8 5/8 in. ( 14 x 21.9 cm )
Description:
Pair of wrought silver vegetable dishes; deep, circular bodies with curved sides and applied beaded bands around the rims; two, cast, hinged bail handles applied to the opposite sides of the bodies; circular, stepped, domed covers with applied beaded bands around the edges and around the centers; covers surmounted by cast, cauliflower finials; each engraved with the Lenox family crest on the covers and the bowls, a crowned lion passant on fess; maker's marks stamped on the sides.
Credit Line:
Bequest of Waldron Phoenix Belknap, Jr.; The Waldron Phoenix Belknap, Jr. Collection
Object Number:
1950.254a-d
Marks:
engraved: on the sides: "RS" in roman letters in a rectangle, a lion passant in a rectangle, a crowned leopard's head in a shield and "q" in a shield
Gallery Label:
These vegetable 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.
Provenance:
Robert Lenox (1759-1839), who married Rachel Carmer (1763-1843); probable descent, to their daughter Rachel Carmer Lenox (b. 1792), who married David Sproat Kennedy (1791-1853); to their son James Lenox Kennedy (1823-1864), who married Cornelia Van Rensselaer (1836-1864); to their son Henry Van Rensselaer Kennedy (1863-1912), who married Marian Robbins (1862-1946); to their daughter Rachel Lenox Kennedy Porter (1887-1962), who married (2nd) Graeme Donald (1884-1928); consigned by Mrs. Graeme Donald to Robert Ensko Inc., New York City; purchased in 1937 by Waldron Phoenix Belknap, Jr., the donor.
Date Begin:
0
Date End:
1792
eMuseum Object ID:
36409
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
Wine cooler
Classification:
Date:
ca. 1835
Medium:
Silver plate
Dimensions:
Overall: 10 1/2 x 12 1/2 x 9 3/4 in. ( 26.7 x 31.8 x 24.8 cm )
Description:
Wrought and cast silver plated wine cooler; inverted pear-shaped body with four applied, cast shell and scroll feet; two cast, loop handles in the form of leaves, scrolls and shells applied to opposite sides on the upper body; circular neck screwed on to the upper body and flared out in to four cartouche forms with cast and applied scrolled borders with foliate or shell motifs; two cast cartouches applied to opposite sides of the body and engraved with the crest of the Van Rensselaer family, a basket issuing flames; no maker's marks.
Credit Line:
Gift of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, V
Object Number:
1946.13
Gallery Label:
This wine cooler was used in the Van Rensselaer mansion.
Date Begin:
0
Date End:
1835
eMuseum Object ID:
36407
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
Punch bowl
Classification:
Date:
1744/45
Medium:
Silver
Dimensions:
Overall: 6 3/8 x 9 1/4 in. ( 16.2 x 23.5 cm )
Description:
Wrought silver punch bowl; deep, circular body with convex sides tapering to the applied, molded rim and curving under to the stepped and molded circular pedestal foot; engraved, in a cartouche on the front center, "The Gift of Gen. l/ BARRENTON/ To Cap.t ROB.T TROUP/ For Services done/ Onboard the Ship STURDY/ BEGGAR: at the Reduction/ Of St. Ann's, on GRANTIER/ IN THE YEAR 1759" in roman letters; a three masted ship of the line bearing a Union Jack engraved to the left of the inscription; maker's marks stamped on the base.
Credit Line:
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Alexander O. Vietor
Object Number:
1979.79
Marks:
stamped: on the base: "GM" in script, a crowned leopard's head in a shield, a lion passant conforming, and "i" in a shield
Inscriptions:
engraved: in a cartouche on the front center: "The Gift of Gen. l/ BARRENTON/ To Cap.t ROB.T TROUP/ For Services done/ Onboard the Ship STURDY/ BEGGAR: at the Reduction/ Of St. Ann's, on GRANTIER/ IN THE YEAR 1759" in roman letters
Gallery Label:
Captain Robert Troup, the commander of the American Privateer "Sturdy Beggar," assisted the English forces in their attack on St. Anne, Grande Terre (Guadalupe), in an attack mounted from the British Island of Antigua. This bowl was presented to Troup by the British General Barrington for services rendered during the battle against the French.
Provenance:
Purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Vietor from Mr. Lloyd Preston Griscom (b. Feb. 5, 1914), NYC, son of Lloyd Carpenter Griscom, a long serving diplomat, and his wife Elsa Bronson Griscom.
Date Begin:
0
Date End:
1745
eMuseum Object ID:
36406
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
Vegetable dish
Classification:
Date:
1791 - 1792
Medium:
Silver
Dimensions:
Overall: 5 1/2 x 8 5/8 in. ( 14 x 21.9 cm )
Silver Weight: 32 oz (troy) 1 dwt (997 g)
Description:
Wrought silver vegetable dish; deep, circular body with curved sides and an applied beaded band around the rim; two, cast, hinged bail handles applied to opposite sides of the body; circular, stepped, domed cover with applied beaded bands around the edge and around the center; cover surmounted by a cast, cauliflower finial; engraved with the Lenox family crest on the cover and the bowl, a crowned lion passant on fess; maker's marks stamped on the side.
Credit Line:
Bequest of Waldron Phoenix Belknap, Jr.; The Waldron Phoenix Belknap, Jr. Collection
Object Number:
1950.254cd
Marks:
stamped: on the side: "RS" in roman letters in a rectangle, a lion passant in a rectangle, a crowned leopard's head in a shield and "q" in a shield
Gallery Label:
This vegetable 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.
Provenance:
Robert Lenox (1759-1839), who married Rachel Carmer (1763-1843); probable descent, to their daughter Rachel Carmer Lenox (b. 1792), who married David Sproat Kennedy (1791-1853); to their son James Lenox Kennedy (1823-1864), who married Cornelia Van Rensselaer (1836-1864); to their son Henry Van Rensselaer Kennedy (1863-1912), who married Marian Robbins (1862-1946); to their daughter Rachel Lenox Kennedy Porter (1887-1962), who married (2nd) Graeme Donald (1884-1928); consigned by Mrs. Graeme Donald to Robert Ensko Inc., New York City; purchased in 1937 by Waldron Phoenix Belknap, Jr., the donor.
Date Begin:
0
Date End:
1792
eMuseum Object ID:
36405
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
Teapot
Classification:
Date:
1791/92
Medium:
Silver
Dimensions:
Overall: 6 5/8 x 11 1/4 x 3 3/4 in. ( 16.8 x 28.6 x 9.5 cm )
Description:
Seamed silver teapot; oval body with straight sides, seamed beneath the handle; applied, cast reeded baseband and applied, cast reeded band at the shoulder; bands of bright-cut geometric, foliate and scroll decoration at the base and below the shoulder; engraved swags around octagonal reserves in the center of each side, in the reserve right of the handle the initials, "L J B" are engraved in bright-cut script; applied, concave shoulder with bands of wheel turned decoration along the edges; applied, cast reeded rim; hinged, domed oval lid with bright-cut and wheel turned bands around the edge; cast silver and carved ivory pineapple finial screwed through the center; straight, tapered round spout joined at the base with bright-cut floral motifs on each side of the lip; two straight, round handle-sockets with reeded edges fitted with a wooden scroll handle; makers' marks stamped on the base.
Credit Line:
Bequest of Elizabeth B. Knight
Object Number:
1940.348a
Marks:
engraved: in the reserve right of the handle: "L J B" in bright-cut script
Mark: Five hallmarks stamped in relief along bottom: a lion passant in a chamfered rectangle, a bust of a man in an oval, a crowned leopard's head in a shield, "q" in a chamfered
Gallery Label:
This teapot belonged to Major Leonard Bleeker (1755-1844) and his wife Johanna Abeel (1764-1810), who married in 1783.
Date Begin:
0
Date End:
1792
eMuseum Object ID:
36381
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
Teapot
Classification:
Date:
1792/93
Medium:
Silver
Dimensions:
Overall: 6 5/8 x 11 1/8 x 3 7/8 in. ( 16.8 x 28.3 x 9.8 cm )
Silver Weight with wood: 15 oz (troy) 11.9 dwt (485 g)
Description:
Seamed silver teapot; oval body with fluted sides that come to points at each end, seamed beneath the handle; bands of bright-cut foliate decoration at the base and below the shoulder; bright-cut oval and foliate motifs on the raised, flat sections of the fluting, except in the center, where chamfered rectangular reserves hung from bows are engraved; the reserve right of the handle is engraved, "M M D/ 1791" in bright-cut script and block numbers; applied, concave shoulder with bands of wheel-turned decoration along the edges; applied, cast reeded rim; hinged, domed oval lid with bright-cut and wheel turned bands around the edge; cast urn finial screwed through the center of the dome; straight, tapered paneled straight spout joined at the base with bright-cut floral motifs on each side of the lip; two tapered octagonal handle-sockets fitted with a wooden c-scroll handle; makers' marks stamped on the base and along underside of lid.
Credit Line:
Gift of Wilmot T. Cox
Object Number:
1941.902
Marks:
stamped: on the base: a lion passant in a chamfered rectangle, a bust of a man in an oval, a crowned leopard's head in a shield, "r" in a chamfered rectangle, all around "PB/ AB" in a rectangle
engraved: in the reserve: "M M/ 1791" in bright-cut script a
Gallery Label:
This teapot is made from sheet silver, which was created by flatting or rolling machines that were available to English silversmiths by the 1750s. Sheet silver enabled firms to bypass the traditional, pain staking hammering process that produced the basic discs from which silver vessels were raised. Vessels made from sheet silver were cheaper and faster to manufacture and lent themselves to the geometric silhouettes that distinguish Neoclassical hollowware. English imports, such as this teapot, were regularly sold by silversmiths and jewelers in New York and in other American cities. This piece became a treasured heirloom in the family of Mary Ann Bowers Duane, who married James C. Duane in 1792. Duane was the son of former New York City mayor James Duane (1736-1797), a member of the Continental Congress, and the first mayor of New York City after the American Revolution.
Provenance:
Mary Ann Bowers (1773-1842), who married James Chatham Duane (1770-1843); to their daughter Maria Bowers Duane (1793-1858), who married Judge Samuel William Jones (1791-1855); to their daughter Cornelia Jones (1825-1901), who married John Bleecker Miller (1820-1861); to their daughter Maria Duane Bleecker Miller (1860-1915), who married Wilmot Townsend Cox (1856-1945), the donor.
Date Begin:
0
Date End:
1793
eMuseum Object ID:
36365
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
Coffee and tea service
Classification:
Date:
1823-1824
Medium:
Silver
Dimensions:
Overall: 6 x 11 5/8 x 6 7/8 in. (15.2 x 29.5 x 17.5 cm)
Description:
Wrought silver coffee and tea service including a coffeepot, teapot, creamer, sugar bowl and waste bowl; squat, round bodies with tapering gadrooning and repoussé chased foliate scrolls around the lower body; engraved on the front centers in the heart shaped reserves with the arms of the Banks family, a griffin on fess; maker's marks stamped on different areas of each body.
Credit Line:
Gift of Mrs. Maria Banks Taylor
Object Number:
1943.181a-e
Marks:
engraved: in the reserves: the arms of the Banks family, a griffin on fess
stamped: on each body: "JA" in roman letters in a rectangle, a lion passant in a chamfered rectangle, a leopard's head in a shield, "h" in a chamfered rectangle and the king's bu
Gallery Label:
This coffee and tea service was given to Isabella Henderson Lenox (1789-1868) by her father, Robert Lenox, on the occassion of her marriage to William Banks in New York City, December 24, 1823.
Date Begin:
0
Date End:
1824
eMuseum Object ID:
36362
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
Sugar bowl
Classification:
Date:
1823-1824
Medium:
Silver
Dimensions:
Overall: 4 3/8 x 8 1/2 x 5 5/8 in. ( 11.1 x 21.6 x 14.3 cm )
Description:
Wrought silver sugar bowl; squat, round body with tapering gadrooning and repoussé chased foliate scrolls around the lower body; applied, stepped and concave shoulder with an applied foliate scroll and shell band rim; seated on four cast paw feet with foliate legs; two cast s-scroll handles with an acanthus leaf grips applied to the rim and the lower body; engraved on the front center in the heart shaped reserve with the arms of the Banks family, a griffin on fess; gilt interior; maker's marks stamped forward of the left handle on the shoulder.
Credit Line:
Gift of Mrs. Maria Banks Taylor
Object Number:
1943.181d
Marks:
engraved: in the reserve: the arms of the Banks family, a griffin on fess
stamped: forward of the left handle on the shoulder: "JA" in roman letters in a rectangle beside a lion passant in a chamfered rectangle, a leopard's head in a shield, "i" in a cha
Gallery Label:
This sugar bowl was given to Isabella Henderson Lenox (1789-1868) by her father Robert Lenox on the occassion of her marriage to William Banks in New York City, December 24, 1823.
Date Begin:
0
Date End:
1824
eMuseum Object ID:
36360
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
Bowl
Classification:
Date:
1753/54
Medium:
Silver
Dimensions:
Overall: 3 1/4 x 6 1/4 in. ( 8.3 x 15.9 cm )
Description:
Wrought silver bowl; deep, bowl-shaped body with a flared and scalloped rim chased with flowers and foliate scrolls; seated on a molded circular foot with a chased band of flowers; the shield reserve on the front center engraved, "S L" in script, surrounded by a floral garland and a banner below engraved, "SPERO/ MELIORA" in roman letters; maker's marks stamped on the base.
Credit Line:
Gift of Mrs. Fanny Clark
Object Number:
1923.58
Marks:
engraved: front center: "S L" in script, surrounded by a floral garland and a banner below engraved, "SPERO/ MELIORA" in roman letters
stamped: on the base: "WG" in script conforming, "J" in a sheld, a lion passant conforming, a crowned leopard's head c
Gallery Label:
This bowl bears the motto of the Livingston family.
Date Begin:
0
Date End:
1754
eMuseum Object ID:
36342
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.


















