Cream Boat
Artist
Christian Hillan
(English, active ca. 1736 - 1741)
Dateca. 1736
MediumSilver
DimensionsOverall: 3 1/2 × 4 3/4 inches (8.89 × 12.07 cm)
Credit LineThe Folgers Coffee Silver Collection, Gift of The Procter & Gamble Company; Collected by Joseph S. Atha
Object numberF99-21/49
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionSilver cream boat decorated with applied monsters, leaves, and scrolls. The serpent handle terminates at the top of the back leg. The legs are decorated with leaves and applied armorials.Gallery LabelAlive with mythical creatures such as the winged lions that leap across the sides, this cream boat may skitter away on its webbed feet if left unattended. Yet, the would-be user may think twice before reaching for the twisted handle comprised of a dragon-like creature with one head emerging from the handle's top while a second head clamps to the vessel's edge. English silversmiths often included grotesque ornamentation, an unconventional combination of natural forms, earthly creatures and monstrous figures, to surprise and delight patrons.
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