MARK OF J. CONNING, MOBILE, ALABAMA, CIRCA 1869

James Conning (1813 – 1872) was a Confederate-era silversmith, jeweler and swordsmith. Born in New York City, Conning established himself as a prominent jeweler in Mobile, Alabama, around 1841. By the 1850’s, Conning was producing swords and other military goods for the Alabama volunteer militia corps with the same decorative implementation as the present repousse water pitcher. During the war and through to his death, Conning continued his production simultaneously maintaining a burgeoning retail business. Examples of silver objects executed by Confederate smiths, such as the present water pitcher, are far less commonly found than those of their northern counterparts.