Wine Fountain
Artist
Thomas Farren
(English, active 1707 - 1743)
Date1720
MediumSilver
DimensionsOverall: 28 × 9 3/8 inches (71.12 × 23.81 cm)
Credit LineThe Folgers Coffee Silver Collection, Gift of The Procter & Gamble Company; Collected by Joseph S. Atha
Object numberF99-21/33 A,B
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 121
Collections
DescriptionA large baluster vase form silver urn on circular foot chased with panels of strapwork and foliage; the body is decorated with three bands of applied decoration (scrolling strapwork alternating with large gadroons or palm-leaf straps) and chased with narrow bands of foliage and guilloche ornaments. There are large hinged ring handles at the shoulder; the tap and spigot are in the form of dolphins. The cover has a fluted border, central rosette, and applied palm leaves surmounted by an acorn finial chased with strapwork decoration. There is a coat-of-arms (Archibold, 1st Earl of Roseberry) engraved on the upper body.Gallery LabelRepresenting the prosperity and social standing of the owner, this monumental piece held a place of importance on the sideboard of a grand house. One of few surviving examples, this fountain was usually filled with wine and used by servants to refill diners' glasses removed from the table on a salver. The baluster shape, or short column, is a Baroque form decorated with strapwork, the applied decorative bands, and gadroons, the raised and rounded lobes. The spigot is formed as a dolphin's mask and the handle is dolphin-shaped.
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