Sugar bowl with lid

1795–1797

andNew Jersey

Place madeNew York, New York, United States, North America

Silver

Overall: 4 × 6 3/8 × 7 1/2 in., 12 oz (troy) 15.9 dwt (10.2 × 16.2 × 19.1 cm, 398 g)

Bequest of Catharine Augusta De Peyster

1911.37bc

This sugar bowl is part of a four-piece tea set was retailed by William Garret Forbes, a prolific silversmith active from 1773 to 1809. In addition to Forbes's name clearly stamped on the underside of the vessels, three of the four pieces bear additional marks of a wheat sheaf and an eagle's head, which indicate the work of Teunis D. DuBois and Joseph DuBois, respectively. The brothers became partners in June 1795 and produced silver both for their own customers and for retailers. Surviving account books kept by Teunis confirm that he maintained a thriving business on his own after 1797 providing New York City silversmiths, jewelers, and merchants with a steady supply of wares for stock. This tea set belonged to Mary Elizabeth Goad Bedlow and John Beekman, who married in 1792. Each piece is engraved with Mary's initials on one side and the Beekman family arms on the other, representing an alliance of the two families.

DescriptionSeamed silver sugar bowl; seamed body, oval in plan, convex sides, die-rolled decorative band inset between the main body and the concave upper body with a plain rim; engraved foliate band, below the die-rolled band; applied, oval footring with a die-rolled decorative band; raised lid, oval in plan, flat at rim with a decorative die-rolled band, rising in the center to an applied domed platform surmounted by a cast urn finial; two, applied squared strap handles; garlanded reserves on both sides with the Beekman family crest, a shield with a wavy bend between two roses, and a bird's head in upper right, surmounted with two wings addorsed, in one and the bright-cut initials, "M B" in the other; maker's mark stamped on the base.

Markingsengraved: in reserve on one side: "M B" in bright-cut script engraved: in reserve on opposite side: Beekman family crest: shield with wavy bend between two roses, bird's head in upper right, surmounted with two wings addorsed Mark: stamped on base: "W. G. Forbes" in italics, in a rectangle. Stamped on inside of footring: boar with hairy back and long phallus in rectangular surround.

ClassificationsSILVER