William Thomson (active New York, 1809 - 1845)
Pitcher, about 1821
Sterling silver, 11.9 x 15.5 cm (4 11/16 x 6 1/8 in.)
This small, American-made, sterling silver pitcher has “Presented by the Agricultural Society of New York to Isabella Stewart, 2nd June 1821,” engraved on the front of the pitcher. It is open at the top and barrel-shaped with a short, beak-like spout and graceful reverse s-scroll handle. The outline of a cow is etched on the back of the pitcher, and the rounded, narrow base upon which the pitcher sits is ornamented by a continuous row of what appears to be upright sheaths of wheat. Around the top rim of the pitcher there is a wide band with a continuous frieze of rural crops and buildings, including larger sheaths of wheat, a mill, windmill, huts, possibly bee hives, and a wagon. Many areas of the pitcher are tarnished.
Short Gallery
Commentary
The Agricultural Society of New York presented Isabella Tod Stewart this prize in honor of her horticultural accomplishments. Isabella Stewart Gardner adored her grandmother, a highly independent woman who successfully managed the family’s Long Island, New York, farm after her husband’s untimely death. Gardner displayed this cup in her museum alongside other family portraits and mementoes in the Short Gallery.