A silver claret jug in the form of a bird of prey with a feathered handle and emerald- colored …

Images(9)

A view of the handle and back of the jug.

A view of the open head of the jug tilted back on its hinge.

Stamped markings on the collar of the bird's head by the hinge.

Claret Jug

Maker George Fox (British, 1816 - 1910)

Date1885-1886

MediumSterling silver, gilding, and emeralds or colored glass

Dimensions9 inches (22.9 cm)

MarkingsMaker's mark in an elaborate cartouche: GF Mark: K [in shield]

Credit LineMuseum purchase with funds raised by the Gari Melchers Collectors’ Society.

Object number2015.1.7

On View

Not on view

CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextGeorge Fox (1816-1910) took over his father's firm with his brother Charles Thomas Fox (1801-1872) in 1841 and worked in partnership as C.T. & G. Fox until Charles' retirement around 1860, when George Fox continued the firm and registered his own marks. Throughout the 19th century, European designers turned to the medieval past for inspiration. They incorporated ornament from architecture and illuminated manuscripts into their work, and sometimes they reinvented new uses for historic objects. This claret jug's form is based on the aquamanile, a brass or bronze vessel used for hand washing in European religious settings in the Middle Ages. Aquamaniles often took the shape of lions, unicorns, or other mythological beasts, just as this jug takes the shape of a bird of prey.

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