Obadiah Rich Coin Silver Harvard University Presentation Ewer, 1850

This very rare presentation pitcher is executed with a bulbous midsection, a pedestal foot and a scroll handle with an acanthus leaf thumb-piece. Vertical fluting on the body defines eight panels with engraved floral and foliate decoration.

Three reserves feature engraving, one a scene of children fishing and playing with toy boats, one a landscape scene with a man fishing and two houses in the background and lastly another with the engraved presentation:

'Bowdoin Prize

Samuel Batchelder

HARVARD COLLEGE

1850'

The prestigious Harvard Bowdoin Prize was first established by Governor James Bowdoin in 1790 and was awarded for English essays, Natural Science and translations into Greek and Latin. 

Samuel Batchelder graduated Harvard College in 1851 and Harvard Law School in 1853 and appears to have won the prize for English essays. Accompanying this pitcher are photocopies of some documentation on Batchelder and the prize.

This beautiful ewer is marked underneath 'O. RICH./ fine/ BOSTON. It measures 13.25 inches to the top of the handle, weighs 21.65 troy ounces and is in excellent antique condition.