Swan centerpiece
Datec. 1960-1980
MediumSilver and glass
Dimensions14 1/4 × 18 × 7 1/2 inches (36.2 × 45.7 × 19.1 cm)
MarkingsEagle in a cartouche [City of Porto] and 833 [silver level] on underside; marks of crossed wrench and hammer with M to the right in a rectangle on underside and on many feathers on neck.
Credit LineGift of Frank A. Rizza, M.D. and family.
Object number2012.15.162
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 TextThis swan features the maker’s mark used by Porto, Portugal silversmith Manuel Alcino de Carvalho Moutinho and his sons for their family firm from 1935 until 1986. In the mid-20th century, several firms in Porto responded to their clients’ enthusiasm for elaborate 17th and 18th-century style household objects by creating highly detailed animal figures as centerpieces and other table ornaments. The swan’s feathers are rendered as raised and chased geometric patterns, and its webbed feet are simplified into ridged, triangular shapes. On the neck, the overlapping feathers disguise a series of joints that allow the swan’s head and neck to be positioned in different ways . The wings fold together or hinge open so that a floral arrangement can be placed in the center, as displayed here.
Label written for Of a Feather: Birds in Art, on view at Telfair's Jepson Center from January 13–June 23, 2024.