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Lot Essay
Cream Jugs by Pelletreau
Nine cream jugs by Pelletreau are recorded, of which only three are pear-form. The first, with pad feet, is in the collection of the Yale University Art Gallery (see K. Buhler and G. Hood, American Silver in the Yale University Art Gallery, vol. II, 1970, p. 108); the second, with trifid feet was recorded in 1959, in the collection of Robert H. Pelletreau, a descendant of Elias Pelletreau (see The Brooklyn Museum, Elias Pelletreau, Long Island Silversmith and his Sources of Design, 1959, fig. 22).
Dean Failey describes how the style of the engraved cypher on the present lot corresponds to a number of extant works by Pelletreau, all dating to the early part of his career, and undoubtedly demonstrating the influence of his master Simeon Soumaine (see D. Failey, Elias Pelletreau Long Island Silversmith, thesis submitted to the Faculty of the University of Delaware, 1971, pp. 33 and 86-89).
William Walton (1731-1796)
The cypher monogram is that of William Walton, nephew and heir of the well known New York merchant of the same name, whose lavish entertainment is well recorded in the histories of New York. The elder Walton's table "groaned under its weight of brilliant massive silver" (Lamb and Harrison, History of the City of New York, New York, 1896, vol. II, p. 683). The Waltons were a wealthy family of ship builders and traders with South America. William Walton married Mary, the daughter of Lieutenant-Governor De Lancey, in 1757. Walton made a number of contributions to New York life, being an original founder of the Marine Society of New York and of the Chamber of Commerce of New York and serving as treasurer, vice-president and president of the latter.
Nine cream jugs by Pelletreau are recorded, of which only three are pear-form. The first, with pad feet, is in the collection of the Yale University Art Gallery (see K. Buhler and G. Hood, American Silver in the Yale University Art Gallery, vol. II, 1970, p. 108); the second, with trifid feet was recorded in 1959, in the collection of Robert H. Pelletreau, a descendant of Elias Pelletreau (see The Brooklyn Museum, Elias Pelletreau, Long Island Silversmith and his Sources of Design, 1959, fig. 22).
Dean Failey describes how the style of the engraved cypher on the present lot corresponds to a number of extant works by Pelletreau, all dating to the early part of his career, and undoubtedly demonstrating the influence of his master Simeon Soumaine (see D. Failey, Elias Pelletreau Long Island Silversmith, thesis submitted to the Faculty of the University of Delaware, 1971, pp. 33 and 86-89).
William Walton (1731-1796)
The cypher monogram is that of William Walton, nephew and heir of the well known New York merchant of the same name, whose lavish entertainment is well recorded in the histories of New York. The elder Walton's table "groaned under its weight of brilliant massive silver" (Lamb and Harrison, History of the City of New York, New York, 1896, vol. II, p. 683). The Waltons were a wealthy family of ship builders and traders with South America. William Walton married Mary, the daughter of Lieutenant-Governor De Lancey, in 1757. Walton made a number of contributions to New York life, being an original founder of the Marine Society of New York and of the Chamber of Commerce of New York and serving as treasurer, vice-president and president of the latter.