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Tongs (Sugar tongs)
William W. Gilbert
1775 (1770-1795)
Description
These sugar tongs posses a decorative duality of delicate yet vibrant flowering vines that climb from a pot just above the scalloped shell tips to the bow and continue as an engraved motif flanking the oval reserve holding an owner's name. Made in the workshop of one of New York's more talented and public-minded silversmiths, William Gilbert, the tongs are rare surviving examples of rococo silver fashioned for the service of tea. The date of "1775" and the legacy of two women's names engraved on this inherited silver table ornament support a tentative attribution to Ann Low (1758-1830), daughter of Anna Halley (1722-1772) and Cornelius Peter Low (1731-1791) of the West Indies, who married Richard Cary (1747-1806) in about 1778.
Category
Metals
Creator/Artist/Maker
William W. Gilbert (Silversmith)
Place of Origin
New York; New York; Mid-Atlantic; United States; North America
Materials
- Silver
Museum Object Number
2004.0032
Credit Line/Donor
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Trace
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Complete Details
Object Number
2004.0032
Object Name
Tongs (Sugar tongs)
Category
Metals
Creator (Role)
William W. Gilbert (Silversmith)
Place of Origin
New York; New York; Mid-Atlantic; United States; North America
Date
1775 (1770-1795)
Mark/Signature/Inscription/Label
Type: Mark
Location: Bow, interior
Inscription: W.G" stamped in a rectangle
Type: Inscription
Location: Bow, exterior
Inscription: "Ann Low / 1775" engraved in script
Type: Inscription
Location: Bow, interior
Inscription: "Anne L. Cary" engraved in script
Mark/Signature: Yes
Materials
- Silver
Techniques
- Cast
- Wrought
- Engraved
Dimensions (inches)
2.402 (W) x 5.63 (L)
Dimensions (centimeters)
6.1 (W) x 14.3 (L)
Dimensions (oz)
1.3757