Ballou MFG Co (Probably) Sterling Silver Ecclesiastical Cruet, Attleboro, MA, c. 1900

This unusual cruet is a lovely example of ecclesiastical silver. The glass is engraved with the Holy Trinity and a cross and is mounted with a sterling base and upper section. The hinged cover has a cross finial. Engraved on the front is a cross above the dedication:

To the glory of God
and in loving memory of
Mrs Catherine D. Tower
Died May 5, 1892'

Ecclesiastical silver is quite rare on the retail market as most religious institutions usually keep their collections. 

Provenance: Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The Episcopal Divinity School was formerly the Episcopal Theological School founded in 1867 in Cambridge; it changed its name in 1974 when it combined with the Philadelphia Divinity School which was founded in 1857. In 2018, the school merged with the Union Theological Seminary in New York City and the campus was acquired by Leslie University. For more history of the school, see here.

This lovely cruet is marked underneath with an uncommon mark (we believe) for the Ballou Mfg. Co. and by the New York City retailer 'J&R LAMB/ NEW YORK/ ENG STERLING.' It measures 9.25 inches tall and is in excellent antique condition with a small scratch on the glass.