Tea Service: Creamer

Michael Banner, Maureen Banner, Tea Service: Creamer, 1991, hollow formed, cut, hammered, annealed, soldered, and polished sterling silver, rosewood, and cloisonné enamel, overall: 5 ⁷⁄₈ x 3 ³⁄₄ x 2 ¹⁄₂ in. (14.9 x 9.7 x 6.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Renwick Alliance, 1994.78.3A-B, © 1991, Michael and Maureen Banner

Artwork Details

Title: Tea Service: Creamer
Artists: Michael Banner
Maureen Banner
Date: 1991
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: overall: 5 ⁷⁄₈ x 3 ³⁄₄ x 2 ¹⁄₂ in. (14.9 x 9.7 x 6.5 cm)
Copyright: © 1991, Michael and Maureen Banner
Credit Line: Gift of the James Renwick Alliance
Mediums: silver
rosewood
Mediums Description: hollow formed, cut, hammered, annealed, soldered, and polished sterling silver, rosewood, and cloisonné enamel
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Subjects: Object — other — dish
Object Number: 1994.78.3A-B
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1994.78.3A-B

Artwork Description

In Tea Service the teapot establishes the form echoed in the creamer and sugar bowl. The trapezoidal form of the body reveals Maureen Banner's background as a potter, while the gently twisted handles evoke the growth and animation of an organism or an elegant plant. The cloisonne enameling in the lids creates multicolored reflections, while the rosewood punctuates the liquid flow of the silver.