Coffeepot (or ewer)

The decoration of this coffeepot displays sensuous floral motifs, anticipating the spread of the Art Nouveau style in America, whereas the form illustrates the fashion for Islamic-inspired wares in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. By this period, Gorham had fully mechanized its methods and developed one of the most efficient and modern factories of its type. Yet, the firm repeatedly introduced handcrafted elements into its products and, in 1897, launched a line of silver made entirely by hand. These wares, characterized by their Art Nouveau style, were called Martelé, the French word for hand hammered.

Gorham’s goal in producing the Martelé line was to reunite the designer and the craftsman, an idea in harmony with the philosophical outlook of the Arts and Crafts movement. Gorham’s chief designer was English-trained silversmith William Christmas Codman (1839   –   1921), who directed this initiative. In preparation for the introduction of the Martelé line, Gorham provided instruction to its craftsmen in hand-raising hollowware from flat sheets of silver. Between 1897 and 1912, the company produced approximately 4,800 pieces of Martelé. The date mark for 1898 on this object suggests that it was among the earliest produced; the company typically did not mark these hand-wrought pieces with the word Martelé until 1901.

This text has been adapted from "Silver of the Americas, 1600-2000," edited by Jeannine Falino and Gerald W.R. Ward, published in 2008 by the MFA. Complete references can be found in that publication.