Tureen and Stand

Gorham Manufacturing Company

1900 · Silver · The American Wing

In the late 1890s, inspired by the ideals of England’s Arts and Crafts movement, Gorham introduced a new line of art silver called Martelé from the French term for "hammered." Its higher silver content (95 percent as opposed to sterling’s 92.5 percent) produced a softer, more malleable metal, which could be hammered into organic forms. The fluid character of Martelé also parallels the contemporary Art Nouveau style. This tureen and stand are particularly successful and well-integrated examples of Martelé design.

Artist

Gorham Manufacturing Company

Date

1900

Medium

Silver

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Schwartz, 1976