Proper Ornaments to be Engrav'd on Plate
Metalwork Design
ca. 1694
ca. 1694
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Charles de Moelder was a prolific designer in London during the reign of William and Mary. This plate shows three designs by him, probably for the use of silversmiths in making household items. The two designs on the left are for tea caddies, vessels which were used to hold dry tea leaves. Tea drinking was introduced in Britain in the mid-1600's, and by the end of the century the practice was experiencing a steady increase in popularity among the English. Elegant and finely decorated tea caddies, such as the one’s shown here, were often made out of silver, and provided attractive centerpieces on the table at home or in gentlemen’s clubs. One of the caddies on the engraving is in the style of a Chinese pocelain jar. Inspired by the Eastern origin of tea, oriental porcelain was a common design type for the earliest tea caddies. The other caddy is decorated with putti and an eagle in a typically Baroque manner.
The design on the right is for a circular box, showing on its lid the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. On the left side of the scene, the vengeful goddess Eris looks down, about to disrupt the procedings. The strange angle at which the lid of the box is positioned is an attempt to give a good view of the scene on the top of the box and simultaneously display the pattern for the side decoration. At the top right, two more frieze-like designs are shown, which could have been substituted into the programmes on the vessels if the gold or silversmith who used the design the box so desired.
The design on the right is for a circular box, showing on its lid the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. On the left side of the scene, the vengeful goddess Eris looks down, about to disrupt the procedings. The strange angle at which the lid of the box is positioned is an attempt to give a good view of the scene on the top of the box and simultaneously display the pattern for the side decoration. At the top right, two more frieze-like designs are shown, which could have been substituted into the programmes on the vessels if the gold or silversmith who used the design the box so desired.
The design on the right is for a circular box, showing on its lid the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. On the left side of the scene, the vengeful goddess Eris looks down, about to disrupt the procedings. The strange angle at which the lid of the box is positioned is an attempt to give a good view of the scene on the top of the box and simultaneously display the pattern for the side decoration. At the top right, two more frieze-like designs are shown, which could have been substituted into the programmes on the vessels if the gold or silversmith who used the design the box so desired.
The design on the right is for a circular box, showing on its lid the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. On the left side of the scene, the vengeful goddess Eris looks down, about to disrupt the procedings. The strange angle at which the lid of the box is positioned is an attempt to give a good view of the scene on the top of the box and simultaneously display the pattern for the side decoration. At the top right, two more frieze-like designs are shown, which could have been substituted into the programmes on the vessels if the gold or silversmith who used the design the box so desired.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Proper Ornaments to be Engrav'd on Plate (series title) |
| Materials and techniques | engraving |
| Brief description | Charles de Moelder (after). Desgins for two tea caddies and a small box. Plate from a suite of twelve showing designs for silver engraving. British, 1694. |
| Physical description | Desgins for two tea caddies, one in the style of Chinese porcelain, and a circular box showing the marriage of Peleus and Thetis. In the upper right corner, two additional ornament designs. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | "C. De Moelder in. et. Fecit." (lower left) |
| Object history | M.180A/1, 2-1919 from the V&A collection is an example of a slightly later tea caddy from London. The shape is comparable to de Moelder’s middle design. E. 385-1926 shows a different state of this plate. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Charles de Moelder was a prolific designer in London during the reign of William and Mary. This plate shows three designs by him, probably for the use of silversmiths in making household items. The two designs on the left are for tea caddies, vessels which were used to hold dry tea leaves. Tea drinking was introduced in Britain in the mid-1600's, and by the end of the century the practice was experiencing a steady increase in popularity among the English. Elegant and finely decorated tea caddies, such as the one’s shown here, were often made out of silver, and provided attractive centerpieces on the table at home or in gentlemen’s clubs. One of the caddies on the engraving is in the style of a Chinese pocelain jar. Inspired by the Eastern origin of tea, oriental porcelain was a common design type for the earliest tea caddies. The other caddy is decorated with putti and an eagle in a typically Baroque manner. The design on the right is for a circular box, showing on its lid the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. On the left side of the scene, the vengeful goddess Eris looks down, about to disrupt the procedings. The strange angle at which the lid of the box is positioned is an attempt to give a good view of the scene on the top of the box and simultaneously display the pattern for the side decoration. At the top right, two more frieze-like designs are shown, which could have been substituted into the programmes on the vessels if the gold or silversmith who used the design the box so desired. The design on the right is for a circular box, showing on its lid the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. On the left side of the scene, the vengeful goddess Eris looks down, about to disrupt the procedings. The strange angle at which the lid of the box is positioned is an attempt to give a good view of the scene on the top of the box and simultaneously display the pattern for the side decoration. At the top right, two more frieze-like designs are shown, which could have been substituted into the programmes on the vessels if the gold or silversmith who used the design the box so desired. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.1064-1899 |
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| Record created | June 30, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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