Samuel Bell was Texas’s finest and most prolific silversmith. Born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he later moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he advertised swords and pistols, spurs, jewelry, spoons, and cups. In 1851, Bell left Knoxville and settled in San Antonio. There he reestablished his business and eventually formed a partnership with three of his sons, which persisted until 1895. 

The inscription on this cup documents it as one of the earliest works that Samuel Bell fashioned after moving to Texas. The unusual design and engraved presentation inscription suggests that it was a special commission. The cup is more fully developed than other Bell examples, and is distinguished by the stamped bands applied to the lip and base, as well as the stylized handle. The side is inscribed as a gift to John M. Carolan, who was then the mayor of San Antonio, from M. H. Campbell and James Gross, the city’s secretary and marshal. The cup descended in John Carolan’s family to his great-granddaughter.