Biscuit Box
Maker
Kennard & Jenks
(American, active 1876 - 1879)
Possible Retailer
Gorham Manufacturing Company
(American, founded 1831)
Date1878
MediumSilver and copper
DimensionsOverall: 5 3/4 x 4 3/8 x 4 3/8in. (14.6 x 11.1 x 11.1cm)
ClassificationsCULINARY ARTIFACTS
Credit LineMuseum Purchase with funds from the Sayre-Bryant Bequest
Terms
Object number89.11
On View
Not on viewCollections
Copyright<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/80x15.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>.
Label TextDuring the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the ornamentation of American silver was influenced by a variety of foreign design sources. The trompe l'oeil damask napkin lid on this biscuit box was derived from Russian silver motifs that simulated textiles. The decoration on the body of the box--a textured surface with applied naturalistic dragonflies and plant life asymmetrically arranged--was inspired by Japanese patterns. In 1854 Admiral Matthew Perry opened Japan to Western trade. The resulting influx of Japanese goods to American markets had a dramatic impact on fine and decorative arts.
ATD
