Images(5)

Cream Pot

Date1830-1840

Marked by James Reed (working ca. 1832-1850)

OriginAmerica, Tennessee, Murfreesboro

MediumSilver

DimensionsOH: 6 7/8 inches

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number2013-111

DescriptionCream pot: Circular stepped foot with fine bands of beading at rim and neck supports an urn-shaped body with fine bands of beading and a milled leaf border at shoulder, beneath a curving neck with wide, everted spout bordered by a single reed. Abbreviated S-shaped hollow handle is ornamented by a four tapered drops beneath a scrolled grip
Label TextThe first advertisement for a Tennessee silversmith appeared in 1792, but production would focus on flatware and tumblers for the next several decades. Only a few examples of more complex hollowware are known before the 1840s. As in other parts of America, silver in Tennessee was sometimes imported and then stuck with a local retailer’s mark. Many of Tennessee’s earliest silversmiths hailed from the Chesapeake and were drawn to the state by its growing demand for luxury goods. North Carolinian James Reed worked in the Middle Tennessee town of Murfeesboro from as early as 1830 until at least 1850.

MarkingsMarked in relief in a serrated rectangle on base of body (inside of foot): "J.REED"

Exhibition(s)