THE ‘BOSTON LIGHT’: A SILVER-PLATED LARGE FIGURAL COCKTAIL SHAKER
THE ‘BOSTON LIGHT’: A SILVER-PLATED LARGE FIGURAL COCKTAIL SHAKER

MARK OF MERIDEN SILVER PLATE CO., MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, CIRCA 1930

Details
THE ‘BOSTON LIGHT’: A SILVER-PLATED LARGE FIGURAL COCKTAIL SHAKER
MARK OF MERIDEN SILVER PLATE CO., MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, CIRCA 1930
Tapering cylindrical form with windows, railing, and architectural details, detachable top, the underside with handle for pouring, marked under base and numbered 340
20 1⁄2 in. (52 cm.) high

Lot Essay

The iconic Boston Light, located on Little Brewster Island in outer Boston Harbor, was the first lighthouse in North America. Built in 1716 and destroyed during the American Revolution, the lighthouse was rebuilt in 1783 and is the last lighthouse that is still actively staffed by the US Coast Guard. Today it is the second oldest working lighthouse in the USA and a designated historic landmark.

The model for the present lot was designed in 1927 by E. G. Webster and Son. During Prohibition, large-scale decorative cocktail shakers were designed to be less regonizable vessels for concealing alcohol that could be readily displayed. A similar version is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2009.2784), and another version sold at Christie's, New York, 24 January 2020, lot 372.

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