Gorham 1880 Sterling Silver Etched Child's Christening Mug with Aquatic Motifs

Gorham special order sterling silver child's or christening mug, made around 1880, gilt inside, adorned with acid-etched motifs including fish and waves, and in an elegant, curvilinear design. It measures 3 3/4'' in height by 2 7/8'' in diameter at the top, weighs 5.3 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.

Please feel free to ask us any questions, and please see our other listings. We hand polish all items before shipping them out, but if there is interest for a professional polishing and/or engraving removal, we can take care of that for an additional charge and with delayed shipping.