Creamer


1792Unidentified silversmithBritishsilver5 7/8 in. × 7/8 in. (14.92 cm × 2.2 cm)

Gift of Mary Prentiss Ingraham Davies,

1930.183.2

Among popular motifs of the classical world is the helmet—a trophy of war, along with shields, spears, and flags. Following classical taste in the late eighteenth century, silver tea wares assumed these forms, as seen in this creamer in the shape of a helmet. A tea set often included related forms devised for different uses, such as a Roman sarcophagus or urn as teapots and sugar bowls, completing a classical ensemble.

—Laura Fecych Sprague