Sugar box

Paul de Lamerie

1744/45 · Silver · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Decorated with whimsical scenes showing the harvesting of sugar cane, this box was probably part of a set that included containers for green and bohea (black) tea. Tea was an expensive commodity during the eighteenth century, and such canisters were often stored in a locked, fitted case made of mahogany or shagreen (shark skin). The scenes of exotically dressed sugar harvesters are surrounded by abstract organic ornament that suggests a grotesque face—a juxtaposition that is characteristic of Paul de Lamerie’s workshop.

Artist

Paul de Lamerie

Date

1744/45

Medium

Silver

Culture

British, London

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Bequest of Alfred Duane Pell, 1924