Pitcher
Description
Pair of silver Askoi or Claret Pitchers, wine ewers, 1871, owned by Caroline Leroy Appleton Edgar (Mrs. Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte II) (1841-1911), made by Baltimore's Samuel Kirk & Son. On October 4, 1871, Samuel Kirk's firm recorded in their ledger an order from "Mrs. Bonaparte of 2 claret pitchers with rounded lips, no goats, no angels and with matted handles. Bonaparte arms behind monogram in front." The pitchers are engraved "CLRB" for Caroline Leroy Appleton Edgar, the wife of Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte II, Elizabeth's grandson. The form is derived from Greek wine skins known as askos. Kirk made askoi with goats and angels for other customers, but the Bonapartes preferred simpler, French-inspired lines for their silver.
Date
1871