拍品專文
This is the only known tureen of this model; however a similar tureen is documented in a period photograph preserved in the Gorham archives (Charles H. Carpenter, Jr., Gorham Silver, 1831-1981, p.129, fig. 127). A set of twelve small turtle-form terrapin-meat bowls, each only 5 inches long, by Gorham was sold at Christie's East, October 24, 1988, lot 324. Another pair of the small bowls, also dated 1890, sold at Christie's, January 20, 1990, lot 169.
The costing slips at the Gorham archives record that the factory price of this tureen and stand was $395 plus $25 for gilding, recorded in October 1890. The tureen alone required 60 hours of fashioning in order to hand raise the body. This was followed by 35 hours of chasing to give surface texture and detail. There are also substantial charges for casting the turtle's head and feet, the small turtle on the cover, and the applied shells and seaweed on the rim.
The costing slips at the Gorham archives record that the factory price of this tureen and stand was $395 plus $25 for gilding, recorded in October 1890. The tureen alone required 60 hours of fashioning in order to hand raise the body. This was followed by 35 hours of chasing to give surface texture and detail. There are also substantial charges for casting the turtle's head and feet, the small turtle on the cover, and the applied shells and seaweed on the rim.