Martelé Tea Service, Kettle and Stand
Maker
Gorham Manufacturing Company
(American, founded 1818)
Collections
ClassificationsDECORATIVE ARTS
Dateca. 1900
Mediumsilver
Dimensions12 1/2 × 9 × 7 in. (31.8 × 22.9 × 17.8 cm.)
Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Edwards H. Metcalf
Label TextIn response to the growing popularity of handwrought metals, Gorham introduced a line of silver called Martelé in the late 1890s. Taking its name from the French word for hand-hammered, Martelé silver was designed under the direction of William C. Codman and produced by some of the company's finest craftsmen. Registering the Martelé trademark in 1899, Gorham introduced its new line at the 1900 Paris Exposition to great popular and critical acclaim. The long, flowing lines, asymmetry, and naturalism of Martelé silver all reflect the influence of French Art Nouveau. While not a matched set, this tea service, with its curvilinear forms and distinctly handwrought character, is typical of Gorham's finest Martelé silver.Status
On viewObject number2001.44.2.2
Enoch Wood & Sons
ca. 1824
Object number: 2017.5.47
