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A4100
This magnificent ewer is extremely rare and has a stunning design and quality. The cast and applied ornamental handle is formed as a twisting vine terminating with 3-dimensional leaves and clusters of berries.
A bold, Renaissance-inspired mask forms the underside of the spout, with details of a man's face with a mustache and a vine with leaves and berries emerging from his mouth.
Decorating the ewer is some of the finest repoussé work we have seen. Finely hand-chased details give texture to the vine bark, veins to the leaves, and feathers to the birds. The details are remarkable, and the surface is pristine. The body is covered with fine circles chased on the textured surface. This stunning treatment adds to the visual effect of the piece and makes the decorative elements shine.
Eight birds are found amongst the twisting vines, each bird doing something unique. The bird above sleeps, his eyes firmly shut while perched on one leg. One bird depicted in a picture above has its wings spread as it goes in to catch a large flying insect. One of our favorites is the bird which is scratching an itch. Exceptional art and whimsy are portrayed throughout this wonderful ewer.
The front contains an extraordinary presentation inscription within a circular field bordered by a vine with leaves.
It reads:
George W. Norton"MY MORE THAN FRIEND"FROMROBERT FRAZERAND AS A TOKEN OF LOVE ANDGRATITUDE FROM HIS FAMILY.LEXINGTON, KY.FEBY 5th 1872.
This stunning classical pattern can be traced to Moses Henry's A Collection of Antique Vases, Altars, Paterae, Tripods, Candelabra, Sarcophagi &c. from Various Collections (London, 1814) where this design can be found in plate 28.
Image from aforementioned work:
One can see where the design originated, although the design on this ewer has been reinterpreted with somewhat more modern, Japanese-inspired birds. Also, Samuel Kirk in Baltimore has been documented as using this design. (1)
William Bogert was a successful silversmith in Newburgh, NY, who sold significant amounts of high-quality silver through Ball, Black & Co. of New York City in partnerships and alone. He apprenticed under his father, Nicholas Bogert; their family intermarried with silversmith William Forbes' family.
In 1866, William Bogert bought the shop of recently deceased Charles Grosjean, of Grosjean and Woodward, suppliers of silver to Tiffany & Co. For a brief period, Bogert's silver was sold by Tiffany until Tiffany & Co. made all their own silver starting about 1870. This ewer may be one of the last pieces from that arrangement. (2)
This magnificent ewer is marked underneath with Bogert's trademark 'B' within a diamond twice. It is also marked 'ENGLISH-STERLING/ 925-100/ 1/ 4247' and by the retailer 'TIFFANY & Co.' It measures 14 inches high by 7 inches wide, weighs 51.85 troy ounces, and is in exceptional antique condition.
Endnotes:
