George Wilkinson
Olive Spoon

CultureAmerican
Titles
  • Olive Spoon
  • from the “Silence” pattern
Datec. 1866
Made inProvidence, Rhode Island, United States
MediumSilver and silver gilding
Dimensions13/16 × 1 7/16 × 7 3/8 in. (2.1 × 3.7 × 18.7 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of Phyllis and Charles Tucker
Object numberB.2001.21
Current Location
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Metals Study Room
On view

Explore Further

Department
Bayou Bend
Object Type
Description

By the late 1860s, Egyptian motifs found their way into the American design vocabulary due in part to the excitement over the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869. Inspired by the occasion, American silver companies introduced a range of flatware designs incorporating Egyptian motifs. The silver produced in this period is among the most beautiful and inspired work of the 19th-century Egyptian revival. In Gorham’s "Silence" pattern, this olive spoon’s handle is flanked by a pair of seated pharaoh figures with a gilded, pierced bowl.

Olives appeared more frequently on American tables during the late 19th century as production in California expanded.


ProvenancePhyllis and Charles Tucker, Houston; given to MFAH, 2001.
Exhibition History"Egyptomania," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, March 18–August 5, 2012.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
[no inscriptions]
Stamped on back: Gorham mark and STERLING

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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