Plateau
1831–32
Medium
Parcel-gilt silver
Dimensions
22 x 17 1/2 in. (55.9 x 44.5 cm.)
Classification
Metalwork-Electrotype
Culture
British, after British, London original
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Philip Schuyler, 1897
Accession Number
97.42
Tags
Art Historical Context
Richard Sibley I's *Plateau* (1831–32) is a stunning example of British metalwork, crafted in parcel-gilt silver—a technique where select areas of silver are gilded with gold for luxurious contrast and shine. Measuring 22 x 17½ inches, this elegant tray-like serving piece features dynamic scenes of soldiers and horses, evoking the military pageantry of early 19th-century Britain As an electrotype reproduction of a London original, it showcases the innovative electroforming process pioneered in the 1840s, which allowed intricate silver designs to be faithfully copied at scale, democratizing acc...