Gorham Sterling Silver Art Nouveau 3-Handled Loving Cup with Yale Inscription

Gorham, sterling silver, 20th century loving cup with 3 handles adorned with flowers in Art Nouveau style. One side of the cup shows a snake and open book in relief. The others show dedicatory inscriptions to H Ray Paige from the Yale Class of 1908. It measures 7'' in height by 9'' from handle to handle (diameter at the top 5 3/4''), weighs 41.3 troy ounces, and bears hallmarks as shown. 

During the heyday of American silver manufacturing–approximately 1850 to 1940–Gorham was one of the most influential. The White House has used Gorham silver services during many administrations. Mary Todd Lincoln purchased an impressive tea and flatware service for use in the White House in 1859. Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant asked Gorham to commemorate the country's one-hundredth anniversary with a spectacular Century Vase that contained over 2,000 oz (57,000 g) of sterling silver, and in 1899, it produced a grand "loving cup" composed of 70,000 dimes was designed for Admiral George Dewey. Colonel Henry Jewett Furber placed the largest single commission Gorham ever received for what became known as the famous Furber service. The opulent 740-piece service represents Victorian era dining at its most elaborate. The monumental silver and parcel-gilt "Neptune" epergne made for Furber as part of this service was displayed at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. Gorham artisans also sculpted the famous monument of George Washington in the Capitol's Rotunda.

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