Wine Ewer

1815

Wine Ewer, 1815. Paul Storr (British, 1771–1844), Rundell, Bridge and Rundell (British, 1797–1834). Silver gilt; overall: 30.5 x 15.6 cm (12 x 6 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Thomas S. Grasselli Memorial Collection 1943.181 Silver was firmly established as a symbol of wealth, status, and power by the 1800s. Throughout history, styles largely followed the taste of the reigning monarch and thus reflected the political and social alliances that underpinned the aristocracy in Britain. The frieze of scrolls surrounding the handle, the acanthus leaf supporting the lip, and the dolphin heads framing the hinge on this ewer are characteristic of a bolder expression of classical taste favored during the Regency period (1811–20). The vine-leaf border along the top of this ewer was inspired by Roman silver from antiquity and popularized by Paul Storr in the 1800s.