Renwick Sand Shaker

Copied Gorham Manufacturing Company, Renwick Sand Shaker, ca. 1825-1875, hammered and incised silver, 3 1⁄4 x 1 7⁄8 in. (8.4 x 4.8 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Julian Kaye, 1976.148

Artwork Details

Title
Renwick Sand Shaker
Artist
Gorham Manufacturing Company
Date
ca. 1825-1875
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
3 1⁄4 x 1 7⁄8 in. (8.4 x 4.8 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Julian Kaye
Mediums
Mediums Description
hammered and incised silver
Classifications
Object Number
1976.148
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1976.148

Artwork Description

This silver sand shaker belonged to James Renwick Jr. (1818-1895), the architect of the Castle, which was the first building to house the Smithsonian Institution's collections. He also designed the building that is now home to the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery, near the White House. Julian and Clara Kaye acquired this piece from their daughter-in-law, who was Renwick's niece, and donated it to the Museum in 1976. Beautiful handwriting was a mark of refinement in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and an elegant writing set with a sand shaker, inkwell, and penholder reflected its owner's sophistication.