Caster
ca. 1735
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Overall: 6 7/8 x 2 1/2 in. (17.5 x 6.4 cm); 8 oz. (248.2 g) Foot: Diam. 2 5/16 in. (5.9 cm) Body: H. 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm); 5 oz. 7 dwt. (165.8 g) Cover: H. 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm); 2 oz. 13 dwt. (82.4 g)
Classification
Caster
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Sansbury-Mills Fund, 1972
Accession Number
1972.233.1a, b
Art Historical Context
This elegant silver caster, crafted by New Yorkversmith Adrian Bancker around 1735, exemplifies the craftsmanship of colonial American silverwork. Standing at nearly 7 inches tall and weighing about 8 ounces, it features a baluster-shaped body, a flared foot, and a domed cover—hallmarks of Queen Anne style popular in early 18th-century America. Bancker, active in New York City, renowned for producing high-quality domestic silver for the city's merchant elite, blending British influences with local ingenuity. Sugar casters like this one were essential tableware in prosperous households, used t...