Sideboard dish
This monumental silver gilt dish, made by Huguenot silversmith Lewis Mettayer, would have been displayed on a sideboard with a matching ewer. Its richly molded border reflects the influence of the French court style.
The royal arms of George I engraved in the center suggest that this dish was commissioned by the Jewel Office, the division of the royal household responsible for silver and gold. It was probably supplied to the writer Joseph Addison, who became Secretary of State in 1717. To help promote a national image of wealth and artistic superiority, the crown provided government officials and emissaries with such magnificent pieces of silver.
The royal arms of George I engraved in the center suggest that this dish was commissioned by the Jewel Office, the division of the royal household responsible for silver and gold. It was probably supplied to the writer Joseph Addison, who became Secretary of State in 1717. To help promote a national image of wealth and artistic superiority, the crown provided government officials and emissaries with such magnificent pieces of silver.
Artwork Details
- Title: Sideboard dish
- Maker: Lewis Mettayer (British, active 1700–died 1740)
- Date: 1717/18
- Culture: British, London
- Medium: Silver gilt
- Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): 27 x 27 in., 246 oz. 5.5 dwt. (68.6 x 68.6 cm, 7.66kg)
- Classification: Metalwork-Silver
- Credit Line: Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1972
- Object Number: 1972.169
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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