Tureen and Cover
Hallmarked for 1773 - 1774 (hallmarked)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This object is a tureen, a covered vessel for holding hot soup.
History & Use
From the mid-17th century, all the highest levels of society throughout Europe followed a system of formal dining that originated in France. The practice was for all the dishes of one course to be laid out on the table at one time, arranged in a strictly symmetrical pattern. When each course was completed, the dishes were removed and replaced with the next course. The first course began with soup, generally served in tureens of an oval form.
Maker & Manufacture
Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) is renowned for the high quality of silver, Sheffield plate, ormolu (gilt bronze) and other metalwork produced at his Soho factory on the outskirts of Birmingham. The factory was begun in 1762, and Boulton ran his business in association with John Fothergill (died 1782). The firm's extensive and highly-profitable output of small articles, such as buttons and buckles in cut steel, and a wide range of domestic items in Sheffield plate, subsidised the costly production of more ambitious articles in silver and ormolu.
Design & Designing
Boulton employed the services of established designers, such as the architects Robert Adam (1728-1792), William Chambers (1723-1796) and James Wyatt (1746-1813). This tureen is in the characteristic Neo-classical style so prevalent in the 1770s.
This object is a tureen, a covered vessel for holding hot soup.
History & Use
From the mid-17th century, all the highest levels of society throughout Europe followed a system of formal dining that originated in France. The practice was for all the dishes of one course to be laid out on the table at one time, arranged in a strictly symmetrical pattern. When each course was completed, the dishes were removed and replaced with the next course. The first course began with soup, generally served in tureens of an oval form.
Maker & Manufacture
Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) is renowned for the high quality of silver, Sheffield plate, ormolu (gilt bronze) and other metalwork produced at his Soho factory on the outskirts of Birmingham. The factory was begun in 1762, and Boulton ran his business in association with John Fothergill (died 1782). The firm's extensive and highly-profitable output of small articles, such as buttons and buckles in cut steel, and a wide range of domestic items in Sheffield plate, subsidised the costly production of more ambitious articles in silver and ormolu.
Design & Designing
Boulton employed the services of established designers, such as the architects Robert Adam (1728-1792), William Chambers (1723-1796) and James Wyatt (1746-1813). This tureen is in the characteristic Neo-classical style so prevalent in the 1770s.
Object details
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Silver, with chased and applied decoration |
| Brief description | Tureen and cover, silver, made in Birmigham by Matthew Boulton & John Fothergill, London hallmarks for 1773-74. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
Matthew Boulton began making silver at his Soho factory in Birmingham in about 1766. Although much of his silver, including this tureen, was made using traditional techniques, some items, such as candlesticks were stamped and assembled using less silver and were cheaper than cast candlesticks.(27/03/2003) |
| Credit line | Accepted in lieu of Inheritance Tax by H M Government from the estate of Beatrix Cooper and allocated to the V&A, 2021 |
| Object history | Manufactured by Matthew Boulton (born in Birmingham 1728, died there in 1809) during his partnership with John Fothergill (1762-1781) at the Soho factory, Birmingham |
| Summary | Object Type This object is a tureen, a covered vessel for holding hot soup. History & Use From the mid-17th century, all the highest levels of society throughout Europe followed a system of formal dining that originated in France. The practice was for all the dishes of one course to be laid out on the table at one time, arranged in a strictly symmetrical pattern. When each course was completed, the dishes were removed and replaced with the next course. The first course began with soup, generally served in tureens of an oval form. Maker & Manufacture Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) is renowned for the high quality of silver, Sheffield plate, ormolu (gilt bronze) and other metalwork produced at his Soho factory on the outskirts of Birmingham. The factory was begun in 1762, and Boulton ran his business in association with John Fothergill (died 1782). The firm's extensive and highly-profitable output of small articles, such as buttons and buckles in cut steel, and a wide range of domestic items in Sheffield plate, subsidised the costly production of more ambitious articles in silver and ormolu. Design & Designing Boulton employed the services of established designers, such as the architects Robert Adam (1728-1792), William Chambers (1723-1796) and James Wyatt (1746-1813). This tureen is in the characteristic Neo-classical style so prevalent in the 1770s. |
| Other number | LOAN:ANON.9-2001 - Previous loan number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.61:1, 2-2021 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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