Images(8)

C65-387. Monteith, marks and owner's initials.

Monteith

Date1688-1689

OriginEngland, London

MediumSilver (Sterling)

DimensionsOH(rim): approx. 5 3/4"; Diam.(rim) approx. 10 3/4"; Diam.(base): 6 1/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1960-581

DescriptionMonteith: hemispherical body forming bowl with six evenly-spaced U-shaped indentions at rim; applied double-bead molding at rim; body divided into six equal panels with parallel vertical grooves below each indention separating panels; first panel engraved with coat of arms within flat-chased palm-leaf mantling; other panels flat-chased with full length robed oriental figure astride a divided wall in various attitudes; area between grooves separating panels flat chased with grandulation; body supported on broad circular spool-shaped foot with molding at edge. "ID" in block letters engraved on underside of base; probably for a member of the Duckenfield family of Duckenfield Hall, Co. Chester.
Label TextThe monteith first appears in English silver in the late seventeenth century. The earliest literary mention of this form is by Anthony à Wood, the Oxford diarist, who noted in December 1683: "This yeare in the summer time came up a vessel or bason notched at the brims to let drinking glasses hang there by the foot so that the body or drinking place might hang in the water to coole them. Such a bason was called a 'Monteigh' from a fantastical Scot called 'Monsieur Monteigh,' who at that time or a little before wore the bottome of his cloake or coate so notched UUUU."

Nathaniel Bailey, in his Dictionary Britannicum (London, 1730), ascribes the same function to the form as Wood. He defines a monteith as "a scallopped Bason to coole Glasses in." Perhaps reflecting a change in use by which time monteiths had declined in favor, Samuel Johnson, in his Dictionary of the English Language (London, 1775), describes a monteith as "A vessel in which glasses are washed." He includes the following couplet from William King's Art of Cookery, in Imitation of Horace's Art of Poetry (London, 1708): "New things produce new words, and thus Monteth / has by one vessel sav'd his Name from Death." He inaccurately adds that its name is "from the inventor."

The earliest surviving monteiths date from 1684, the year after Wood's passage. This example is characteristic of the earliest type, having a straight notched rim on a simple hemispherical body supported on a broad, spool-form foot. It is distinguished, as are a number of examples of this type, with a repeat of flat-chased chinoiserie scenes. Such decoration appears on a broad range of forms, bearing the marks of a number of makers and dating mainly from the late 1670s and 1680s. The close similarity of this decoration has prompted Dauterman and Oman to suggest that perhaps a single shop of specialist chasers executed the decoration on most of these pieces. Clayton further suggests that perhaps a retailer handled most of these pieces and that he had plain wares by a number of makers decorated by a specialist chaser for his stock. The flat-chased foliate wreath enclosing the engraved armorials on this monteith is very similar to that on a monteith of the same year by George Garthorne of London, reinforcing the notion that these fanciful chinoiseries were the work of a single or small group of specialist chasers. William Fitzhugh of Stafford County, Virginia, willed "one Large Silver Salver Jappan" in 1700 to one of his sons. It was probably the salver he ordered through his London agent in 1688/89, and "Jappan" probably denotes that it was enriched with this form of flat-chased chinoiserie decoration. A small London mug of 1688/89 with a reeded neck and a globular body flat-chased with similar chinoiserie decoration was presented in 1728 to St. Michael's Parish, Talbot County, Maryland.

Monteiths were owned by several Virginia families. William Fitzhugh, in the second codicil of 1701 to his will of the previous year, wrote, "I Give to my son Henry Fitzhugh my Silver Moonteeth Bason which I brought out of England." In the 1714 inventory of the estate of William Churchill of Middlesex County, there is listed among "The Plate: 1 Munteth" and "In the Kitchin: 12 Pewter Basons 2 Large Do. with Brims." The latter two are possibly monteiths of the type with detachable rims. Also entered as "In the Kitchin" in the 1728 inventory of the estate of Nathaniel Harrison of Surry County and as "In the Kitchin" in the 1742 inventory of the estate of Henry Hacker of Williamsburg are "1 Monteth" and "1 Monteth 10/," respectively. The 1741 inventory of the estate of Alexander Spotswood of Orange County, who served as governor of Virginia (1710-1722), includes "1 munteth 1." The 1744 inventory of the estate of James Geddy of Williamsburg, father of the silversmith of the same name, contains "1 Pewter Monteith 5/."

Two English silver monteiths with traditions of Virginia ownership from an early date are known. The earlier of the two, made by Joseph Sheene of London in 1699/1700, has descended in the Fitzhugh family and may in fact be the one mentioned in William Fitzhugh's will. The other, made by Francis Spilsbury of London in 1733/34, is engraved with the arms and crest of the Garlick family of Virginia.
InscribedArms and crest of Duckenfield, Cheshire, engraved on face of body. Owner's initials, (I D) probably those of a member of the Duckenfield family, engraved on underside of base
MarkingsMaker's mark "TA" in script letters conjoined within a shaped rectangle, leopard's head crowned, lion passant, and date letter on underside of base.
Provenance"The Arms and Crest shewn in this photograph are those of the family of Duckenfield (Duckinfield, Duckingfield, Dokenfeld, and other variants) of DUckenfield Hall, Co. Chester, as recorded at the Heralds' Visitatin of that County in 1663/4, namely: Arms: Argent a cross pointed voided sable, and the the Crest: Out of a ducal coronet or a cubit arm habited gules the hand proper holding a sun in splendour gold. A pedigree of five generations was registered at this time. The Crest, as delineated in the photograph is slightly incorrect in that the cubit arm in (sic.) reduced to a hand only. N o later registration of this family's lineage would appear ever to have been made. Of this family Robert Duckenfield, junior, of Duckenfield Hall, eldest son and heir apparent of Robrt, a Colonel in the Parliamentary Army, Governor of Chester and one of the Council of the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, was during his father's lifetime created a Baronet on the 16th June 1665, which title, according to printed works , extinguished on the death without issue of the seventh Baronet on the 24th June 1858." (Information supplied by the Rouge Dragon, Pursuivant of Arms, College of Arms, London, 1965.)
Mallett & Son, London (purchased at Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 1908)
Vendor: Garrard & Co. Ltd., London

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