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Attributed to Thomas Pairpoint, designer

Plateau, 1876

Description

Maker

  • Gorham Manufacturing Company, 1831-present, American, manufacturer
  • Attributed to Thomas Pairpoint, 1838-1902, American, designer

Title

Plateau

Year

1876

Medium

Silver with gilding and glass

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • silver,
  • AR,
  • gilding,
  • gilded

Dimensions

15 x 73.5 x 43 cm (5 7/8 x 28 15/16 x 16 15/16 inches) (Overall)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Marked on base: STERLING / [lion] [anchor] G / I.
Marked on top: GORHAM & CO. / UNION SQUARE N.Y.

Place

Providence; Rhode Island

Type

  • Metalwork

Credit

The Gorham Collection. Gift of Textron Inc.

Object Number

1991.126.79.1

About

Gorham exhibited the Neptune epergne and plateau at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. Columbia, patriotic symbol of the United States, floats above the tiered epergne (centerpiece). Neptune, the Roman god of the oceans who created and gave the horse to mankind, appears below her on the central plaque. He is more subtly referenced in the plateau (base), which bears a decorative adaptation of the Greek Parthenon’s equestrian frieze. This neoclassical creation for the display of fruit and flowers is one element of a 740-piece dining service for twenty-four commissioned by Colonel Henry Jewett Furber of Chicago. Given in its entirety to RISD, it includes candelabras, butter pats, wine coolers, and hundreds of specialized flatware pieces executed in a variety of Victorian-era styles.

Marked on base: STERLING / [lion] [anchor] G / I.
Marked on top: GORHAM & CO. / UNION SQUARE N.Y.

Providence; Rhode Island
{"66381":"Attributed to"}

Projects & Publications

Publications

Gorham Silver Designing Brilliance 1850-1970

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Gorham Silver

May 3 - December 1, 2019

Making It In America

October 11, 2013 - February 9, 2014

Elizabeth A. Williams, curator of decorative arts: Drawing the best of everything from around the globe, world’s fairs allowed companies to display their finest work in the hope of garnering international acclaim. It was at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia that the Gorham Manufacturing Company made its major-exposition debut with stunning works including this epergne, or table centerpiece.

Lead designer Thomas Pairpoint deftly combined motifs from the popular Renaissance Revival style, showing scenes of the Roman sea god Neptune. This monumental piece is also decorated with an adaptation of the equestrian frieze from the Greek Parthenon, as well as truly American iconography. This includes Columbia, the female personification of the United States, who reigns over all.

Joost During, silversmith: Look closely at the plaque in front and note the very subtle but beautiful texture on the skin of the four figures. The direction and depth of this texture define and enhance the shape of their bodies. As a silversmith, I love looking at work done by other metalsmiths, especially when they are as talented as those who worked at Gorham in its heyday. These were not only incredible craftsmen, but also great artists in their own right. The designers who imagined this kind of piece on paper relied heavily on the craftsmen they worked with to bring their vision to life. For me, it is very exciting to see such an excellent example of cooperation between several people with different but amazing skills.

The Furber Service
Made for Chicago businessman Henry Jewett Furber, the Neptune Epergne is one of 740 pieces of silver made to serve 24 people. Most likely the largest commission received by the Gorham Manufacturing Company, the service was produced between 1873 and 1879. Although many of the pieces were made in the Renaissance Revival style seen in the epergne, the Furber service is a visual testimony to the confidence of Gorham’s designers in freely appro

Related

No Image Available

Gorham Manufacturing Company, manufacturer

Plateaus, 1876-1876

Thomas Pairpoint, designer

Epergne, 1872

More objects +

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Plateau with the accession number of 1991.126.79.1. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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