Illustration by JASON CHEN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff
By Michael Rosen-Molina
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Now on display at the Fowler Museum, “Reflecting Culture:
The Francis E. Fowler Silver Collection” features an
extensive array of carefully crafted silver artifacts from around
the world.
An entire exhibit dedicated to silver might not immediately grab
the imagination, but the Fowler collection soon changes that. A
huge silver dish, a far cry from the mundane, dominates the
exhibit’s entrance. A plaque explains the object’s
origin: In 1743, British naval commander Lord George Anson captured
a Spanish treasure ship leaving Manila Bay. For the feat, the
admiral received silver bullion worth 500,000 pounds. Included in
the reward was an ornate silver dish, decorated with the
admiral’s coat of arms: a snarling manatee and a mythical
horse-fish hybrid holding the family crest.
Other displays include an explanation of the silversmithing
process and a catalogue of famous women silversmiths.
Another case, under the appropriate title “In Praise of
Beer,” holds functional silver tankards from various parts of
Europe. Beer seems to have pushed some silversmiths to new heights
of imagination, as evidenced by a large drinking horn with gnarled
claws and eagle’s head made to look like a griffin. The horn
rests upon a stand carved to resemble a pair of gnarled claws,
while a scowling eagle head pokes out from the side of the horn.
Together, the two separate pieces form one complete monster.
Despite such innovative vessels, the most interesting cups were
not used for recreational drinking, but for ceremonial purposes.
Ceremonial cups played an important part in German professional
guilds, used by guild leaders during official functions.
Imaginative craftsmen did not churn out generic cups for the
different guilds. Rather, they exercised their creativity by making
a unique design for each association.
A butcher’s guild used cups in the shapes of cows and
pigs, while a shoemaker’s guild made its cups to resemble
fancy, pointed boots. Another cup, in the shape of a horse, stands
on an elaborate base, crafted in such exquisite detail that viewers
can even discern tiny lizards and frogs scrambling about the
horse’s feet.
Wealthy patrons often commissioned silver works to flaunt their
wealth; model ships called “nefs” were a frivolous
favorite. The Fowler collection contains a porcelain and gilt
silver nef, every crew member crafted in amazing detail. The tiny
captain clutches the ship’s wheel, while a nearby pair of
swashbucklers, forever frozen in the middle of a duel, brandish
swords. Above their heads, sails made of silver sheets billow out,
as if pushed by an imaginary wind.
The exhibit’s plaque informs that, for all their
gaudiness, nefs still served a useful purpose: hosts used them as
flashy wine holders. Servants placed the bottle in the ship’s
hollow interior before rolling the whole contraption across the
table, to the delight of amused dinner guests.
The collection is noteworthy both for its scope and for its
detail. The artifacts have their origins in every major
silver-working country on the globe, and the exhibit explains in
minute detail the reason behind the stylistic differences. The
baroque British style, full of swirls and flourishes, contrasts
sharply with the simple, refined appearance of early American
silver items; while English nobility frequently ordered
ostentatious silverware to impress their compatriots, the scarcity
of materials in the colonies necessitated a more unadorned
style.
Most Americans remember Paul Revere from their high school
history classes as the revolutionary patriot who rode through the
night to warn American troops about the approach of the British.
Revere had a life outside of his famous midnight ride, although few
remember that he made his living as an accomplished silversmith. A
polished sugar urn stands as a sample of Revere’s craft.
Products of other nations are also available for viewing. The
distinctive Russian style especially strikes the eye, inlaid with
colorful porcelain tiles. Even such a simple article as a cigarette
case provided an excellent opportunity for a smith to display his
expertise; the box is decorated with brilliant red fish and
birds.
Ireland silver shares some motifs with its English neighbors,
but, while English silversmiths completely covered their work in
flamboyant curls and coils, Irish smiths used only the occasional
flourish over a bare, uncomplicated background to achieve the same
effect.
As many peoples’ exposure to silver working is limited to
forks, spoons and other dining utensils, a whole gallery dedicated
to silver might not sound exciting. With strange and unique silver
artifacts, model ships and cups shaped like pigs, “Reflecting
Culture” quickly puts silver’s lackluster reputation to
rest.
ART: “Reflecting Culture: The Francis E.
Fowler Silver Collection” is on permanent display at the
Fowler Museum.