Charleston Loan Exhibition

40 Jean-Nicolas Boulanger (French, 1739–1811) Covered sugar bowl and tray Paris, France, 1784 Silver Bowl: H. 4½ x W. 6 fi/* x D. 3¾ inches; Tray: H. 5/8 x W. 9 ⁄/!^ x D. 6 ⁄/* inches. Engraved on side: AM (most likely for Ann Manigault, mother of Arthur Middleton); stamped: mark of the crown, date letter, urn and JNB on underside Historic Charleston Foundation, Charleston, SC, lent by Mrs. Margaret Lowndes Land, L.98.4.1 This covered sugar bowl and plate, previously thought to have belonged to Arthur Middleton (1785–1837), was more likely a present purchased by Joseph Manigault for his sister Ann Manigault (1762-1811), Arthur’s mother. Joseph Manigault, who, like most sons of Charleston’s elite, studied abroad in London and Geneva, seized on his time abroad to acquire goods for himself and his family. In 1810, Ann Middleton’s son Arthur married Alicia Hopton Russell (1797–1877) in one of the most celebrated events of Charleston’s social season. Boulanger, who in 1783 became a master silversmith, was at the beginning of his career when this sugar bowl and under plate were produced. The mark of the crown and “A” next to Boulanger’s mark indicates that this piece was registered by Henry Clavel, the régisseur général from 1781–1789, and the urn mark on the rim denotes it as an item intended for export. 1 BJO 1. Solange Brault-Lerch, Les Orfevres de Troyes (Geneva, Switzerland: Librairie Droz S.A., 1986), 43. Hester Bateman (English, 1708–1794) Cruet set London, England, 1789 Silver and glass H. 9 ‡/* x W. 8½ x D. 5 inches Stamped on rim at base: lion passant, crowned leopard’s head, date letter and HB Historic Charleston Foundation, Charleston, SC, gift of Mrs. Emily Lowndes Kreis, 96.5.1 One of the most distinguished female silversmiths in history, Hester Bateman (1708–1794) is not only recognized for the sophistication of the objects produced in her workshop, but also for developing a successful silver business that lasted over 100 years. First registered in the Goldsmith’s Guild on April 16, 1761, the austere, yet elegant neoclassical wares produced in her workshop may have their influence in the writings of Robert Adam (1728–1792), who brought about the resurgence of classical design motifs in architecture as well as to the decorative and fine arts. Very little silver by Hester Bateman exits before the mid 1770s, with most extant pieces dating from after that period. The drastic increase in works attributed to Hester Bateman is most likely a result of mass produced goods and an increased workforce in the silversmith’s workshop. This silver cruet set, with original bottles, was bequeathed by Mary Chiristina Gregorie in 1823 to her niece, Alicia Hopton Russell Middle- ton. Adding refinement to the cruet set is the bright-cut engraving and the simple beaded border—an attribute commonly seen on silver manufactured in the Bateman workshop. Hester Bateman retired from the workshop in 1790, leaving the business to her sons, Jonathan and Peter, which became the firm of Peter and Ann Bateman after Jonathan’s death in 1791. BJO