The eclecticism that defines nineteenth-century American art is exuberantly manifested in these remarkable ewers, which may have been intended more as decorative rather than functional objects.  Their contours reproduce the inverted pear shape characteristic of Rococo silver, and the asymmetrical scrolls, flora, and putti are consistent with the prevailing Rococo Revival aesthetic. The startling juxtaposition of a Baroque mask, Neo-classical beading, Grecian-inspired acanthus leaves, and the exotic Persian diaper pattern produces a summation of nineteenth-century American taste.

Technical notes: The ewer consists of a foot rim, a foot, and raised body. The mask is cast. Aside from the engraved owner's monogram, the decoration is chased and repoussed.

Related examples: Sotheby’s, New York, sale 5968, January 24–27, 1990, lots 140–47.

Book excerpt: David B. Warren, Michael K. Brown, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, and Emily Ballew Neff.  American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection. Houston: Princeton Univ. Press, 1998.