Name/Title
PitcherEntry/Object ID
L.2011.004.3Description
John Ewan (1786-1852)
Pitcher
Charleston, SC, ca. 1852
Silver
H. 12 3/4 x W. 8 3/4 inches
Engraved: SLN for Susan Lynah Norris; stamped on bottom: J EWAN
Lent by Middleton Place Foundation, Charleston, SC
This elegant, octagonal-shaped pitcher was made by Charleston silversmith John Ewan, who was working in Charleston between 1823 and 1852. Exhibiting his skill, Ewan used a variety of decorative techniques, such as repoussé, and he covered the pitcher's rectilinear surfaces with elaborate rococo cartouches and three-dimensional floral designs that suit its stylish form and functional shape. Octagonal forms were fashionable in the first half of the nineteenth century, and this silver pitcher may have been created to emulate fashionable Parisian porcelain tea services by Jean-Marx Clauss (1820-1846) or Jacob Petit (1820-1848)-one of which is in the collection of Middleton Place Foundation.
Susan Middleton Lynah Norris, a great-granddaughter of Henry Middleton (1717-1784), is Interestingly believed to have received this pitcher as a wedding gift when she married Dr. Richard Norris in April 1853. John Ewan died October 1, 1852, and this pitcher has a history of being a gift in 1853. Therefore, it may have been one of the last major pieces of silver he made. The pitcher would have been purchased from John's son William Ewan, who continued the business a year after his father's death..Collection
Middleton Place Foundation C/O: Historic CharlestLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
PitcherNomenclature Primary Object Term
Vessel, Drink ServingNomenclature Sub-Class
Serving VesselsNomenclature Class
Food Service T&ENomenclature Category
Category 04: Tools & Equipment for MaterialsIntake
Loan In
L.2011.004Lender
Charles Duell, PresidentDate Received
Jan 12, 2011Date Returned
Feb 1, 2011Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
December 6, 2012Updated By
admin@catalogit.appUpdate Date
December 7, 2012