Coffee Urn

c. 1843

Coffee Urn, c. 1843. Samuel Kirk (American, 1793–1872). Silver, ivory; overall: 45.5 x 26.5 x 22 cm (17 15/16 x 10 7/16 x 8 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Victoire Rankin in honor of Stephen Harrison's great service 2021.121 Samuel Kirk was a leading American silversmith in the early 19th century whose Baltimore studio had became a major American silver company that thrived throughout the middle of the 20th century. Such a large, impressive coffee urn as this highly decorated example was considered the ultimate in Samuel Kirk silver and was largely made by hand. The decoration on this coffee urn was achieved through a technique known as "repousse" in which the design was hammered into relief from behind.