Tongs

Art Historical Context

These elegant silver tongs, crafted by American silversmith J. S. Porter between 1800 and 1810, exemplify the refined domestic objects that graced early nineteenth-century tea tables. Measuring just under six inches, the compact form suggests they were designed for serving sugar or other small items during the elaborate rituals of tea drinking, a that symbolized hospitality and social in the young American republic. As part of the Metropolitan Museum’s American Wing, this piece reflects the growing sophistication of American silverwork in the Federal era. Silversmiths like Porter drew on Euro...