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Ciborium

George Ernest Germer (American, born in Germany, 1868 – 1936)

about 1922

Object PlaceMason, New Hampshire, United States

Medium/TechniqueSilver gilt, carnelian

DimensionsOverall: 15.9 × 19.1 × 12.7 cm (6 1/4 × 7 1/2 × 5 in.)

Credit LineMuseum purchase with funds donated by Dyann and Peter Wirth

Accession number2019.192a-b

On View

On view

ClassificationsSilver hollowware

Collections

Americas

Description

George E. Germer

American (born in Germany), 1868–1936

Altar cross, about 1929

Gilded silver, carnelian, chrysoprase

Ciborium, about 1922

Gilded silver, carnelian

Although not well known today, silversmith George E. Germer was known nationally for his ecclesiastical work in the early 20^th century. He designed and made both this altar cross and ciborium as exhibition pieces to show off his craft skills and attract clients. The decoration of the ciborium (a vessel that contains the Eucharist, the sacramental bread used for Holy Communion) features scenes from the life of Jesus, while the altar cross deftly combines repousse chased (hammered) foliate ornament with semi-precious stones that add a touch of color.

Museum purchase with funds donated by Peter Wirth, 2019 2019.191, 192a-b

Inscriptions“DES & MADE BY GEORGE E. GERMER,” engraved into side of footProvenance1936/1937, offered for sale by the Estate of George E. Germer, through the Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston [see note 1], but not sold; subsequently offered for sale by the Estate of George E. Germer through Gebelein Silversmiths, Boston; 1956, transferred, either by gift or sale, from Gebelein Silversmiths to Florence S. Dustin (b. 1887- d. 1967), Cambridge, MA [see note 2]; late 1950s, probably given by Dustin to the Episcopal Theological School, Cambridge, MA [see note 3]; June 2018, sold by the Episcopal Divinity School to Spencer Marks, Ltd., Southampton, MA; 2019, sold by Spencer Marks, Ltd. to the MFA. (Accession Date: April 24, 2019)

(1) The executrix of the estate of George Germer was Henrietta J. Fuchs (1876-1958), the daughter of William Fuchs, a fellow German-American silversmith who Germer worked with at Tiffany & Co. in the 1890s. Fuchs put the cross on consignment to the sales room of the Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston in 1936-37.
(2) In a 1956 letter from Henrietta J. Fuchs to Gebelein Silversmiths, Fuchs instructs Gebelein to release the ciborium to Dustin. It is unclear if this transaction was a sale or a gift.
(3) Florence S. Dustin lived just blocks away from the Episcopal Divinity School and it is believed that she attended church there. There are recorded of her donating other works to several institutions in Cambridge and New Hampshire in the late 1950s, and she probably donated this cross to the Episcopal Theological School at that time as well. Founded in 1867 in Cambridge, MA, tt changed its name to the Episcopal Divinity School in 1974 when it combined with the Philadelphia Divinity School (founded in 1857). The cross, ciborium and alms dish (MFA accession no. 2019-191-.192a-b, 2019.1806) were kept in St. John’s Chapel at the Episcopal Divinity School. In 2018, the school merged with the Union Theological Seminary in New York City.