Plateau

Richard Sibley I

1831–32 · Parcel-gilt silver · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

This distinctive plateau is a smaller version of a renowned plateau made for presentation to Sir Arthur Wellesley, duke of Wellington (1769–1852), the victor of the war against the Napoleonic armies that invaded Portugal and Spain (the Peninsular War, 1808–14). The piece was made on the order of the regent of Portugal John VI. The original Portuguese work is in Apsley House, the duke's London mansion. The pictorial composition shows the duke with some of his generals in high relief, against a background of flags and cannon smoke. The plateau is an early example of commemorative works referring to specific people or events that would become a conspicuous theme in nineteenth-century silver production.

Artist

Richard Sibley I

Date

1831–32

Medium

Parcel-gilt silver

Culture

British, after British, London original

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Philip Schuyler, 1897