Jacob Hurd

As a material from which coins are minted and beautiful works of art are fashioned, silver possesses a dual identify in signifying success. Status, wealth, education, and elegance were readily conveyed in personal adornments and the silver amassed on the family sideboard, and because sterling was literally worth its weight, it could easily be converted to cash in hard times. Fortunately, these pieces survived. The cup commemorated Captain John Crawford’s marriage to Amy Whipple in Providence in 1715-note the newlyweds’ initials inscribed on the side-while the tankard’s inscriptions indicate its significance, beginning in the 18th century and continuing through the 20th century, as an heirloom of the Ellery family of Newport. The teapot belonged to Mrs. Ebenezer Pemberton, whose portrait hangs on the wall.