Sugar bowl with cover
last quarter 18th century
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Overall: 8 1/2 × 5 in. (21.6 × 12.7 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Silver
Culture
Portuguese, Oporto
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1912
Accession Number
12.124.23a, b
Art Historical Context
This elegant sugar bowl with cover, crafted the silversmith M. H. P. in Oporto, Portugal, during the last quarter of the 18th century exemplifies the refined metalwork traditions of late Enlightenment-era Europe. Measuring 8½ × 5 inches, its substantial silver form was designed for serving refined sugar—a luxury commodity symbolizing wealth amid Portugal's booming trade with its Brazilian colonies. Oporto, a vibrant port city, was a hub for skilled silversmiths who produced high-quality domestic wares for affluent households. The piece's silver medium highlights masterful chasing and engravin...