1989.4.2.McD Gorham Manufacturing Company, Bamboo serving spoon



GENERAL DESCRIPTION    
Constructed with precious metals—silver and gold—this serving spoon, and its matching fork (1989.4.1.McD), instead appears to be made from bamboo and oyster shells fastened with twine, suggesting primitive or amateur craftsmanship. In the final decades of the 19th century, Gorham Manufacturing Company and its competitors produced numerous lines of silver hollowware and flatware in the shape of grass, leaves, shells, and other organic forms, which satisfied the period obsession with nature. 

Adapted from
  • Samantha Robinson, Label text, 2014

NOTES
added tags, corrected rule - 9/27/17 JBA

I updated the titles to include the pattern - Bamboo.

I changed the date from c. 1880 to c. 1882 based on research for current label copy. 
        *Note -- I didn't see in TMS that the date had actually been updated from 1880 to 1882 for either object (spoon or fork) as stated above, so I updated it in TMS along with the search dates. JBA 10/16/2017

I updated Provenance, Exhibition History, and Published References in TMS. 

Catalogue essays

Artist/designers

Cultures

Geography

Process/materials

Historical periods

Individuals

Subject terms

RELATED OBJECTS 

PROVENANCE
From 1989: Dallas Museum of Art, purchased at auction, Christie's New York, January 20-21, 1989, sale 6742 "Flower," lot 248 [1], [2] 

[1] See Christie's Shipping Form for Purchases (dated January 30, 1989, copy in Collections Records Object File). See also Macray Movers, Inc. fax (dated February 14, 1989, copy in Collections Records Object File). 

[2] Works of art given or purchased by The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., a non-profit organization, are placed in the custody of the DMA for the purpose of public display on the premises of the Museum or in other recognized art galleries or museum. The title to all works of art purchased (or otherwise acquired) by the McDermott Art Fund remains with the Fund. 

AUDIO ASSETS 

VIDEO ASSETS

IMAGE ASSETS
[The handles of Gorham Manufacturing Company's Bamboo flatware imitate bamboo. Source: By annieo76 (Flickr profile) (Original webpage:[1] Website publisher: Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABamboo_Forest.jpg]

WEB RESOURCES 
YouTube~Watch a video about Gorham Manufacturing Company

ARCHIVAL RESOURCES

FUN FACTS

TEACHING IDEAS

RULES 
Apply to objects where number equals 1989.4.2.McD




Category
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General Description
   
Constructed with precious metals—silver and gold—this serving spoon, and its matching fork (1989.4.1.McD), instead appears to be made from bamboo and oyster shells fastened with twine, suggesting primitive or amateur craftsmanship. In the final decades of the 19th century, Gorham Manufacturing Company and its competitors produced numerous lines of silver hollowware and flatware in the shape of grass, leaves, shells, and other organic forms, which satisfied the period obsession with nature. 

Adapted from
  • Samantha Robinson, Label text, 2014

Fun Facts

Archival Resources

Web Resources
 
YouTube~Watch a video about Gorham Manufacturing Company

Notes
added tags, corrected rule - 9/27/17 JBA

I updated the titles to include the pattern - Bamboo.

I changed the date from c. 1880 to c. 1882 based on research for current label copy. 
        *Note -- I didn't see in TMS that the date had actually been updated from 1880 to 1882 for either object (spoon or fork) as stated above, so I updated it in TMS along with the search dates. JBA 10/16/2017

I updated Provenance, Exhibition History, and Published References in TMS. 

Catalogue essays

Artist/designers

Cultures

Geography

Process/materials

Historical periods

Individuals

Subject terms

RELATED OBJECTS 

PROVENANCE
From 1989: Dallas Museum of Art, purchased at auction, Christie's New York, January 20-21, 1989, sale 6742 "Flower," lot 248 [1], [2] 

[1] See Christie's Shipping Form for Purchases (dated January 30, 1989, copy in Collections Records Object File). See also Macray Movers, Inc. fax (dated February 14, 1989, copy in Collections Records Object File). 

[2] Works of art given or purchased by The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., a non-profit organization, are placed in the custody of the DMA for the purpose of public display on the premises of the Museum or in other recognized art galleries or museum. The title to all works of art purchased (or otherwise acquired) by the McDermott Art Fund remains with the Fund. 

AUDIO ASSETS 

VIDEO ASSETS

rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1989.4.2.McD
tags
#draft
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%copyedited_Gail
United States (nation): TGN: 7012149
*Decorative Arts and Design
decorative arts: AAT: 300054168
gold (metal): AAT: 300011021
shiny (shine): AAT: 300065244
silver (metal): AAT: 300011029
Japonisme: AAT: 300055785
nature: AAT: 300179372
@Robinson
Gorham: ULAN: 500065626
silver gilding: AAT: 300380110
Providence (Rhode Island): TGN: 7013952
oyster shell: AAT: 300011836
spoons: AAT: 300043149
bamboo (plant): AAT: 300311500
serving spoons: AAT: 300043168
forks (flatware): AAT: 300043099
serving fork: AAT: 300207610
rustic (style): AAT: 300310541
source file
object_notes_2_b-0015.xml.nores