Presentation Ewer
Date1859
MediumSilver
Dimensions13 × 8 3/4 × 4 13/16 inches (33 × 22.2 × 12.2 cm)
Markings“A.E.WARNER” in rectangle; “11 2” in rectangle
Credit LineBequest of Peter L. Knepton.
Object number2023.55
On View
On viewCollections
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 TextThe Savannah Republican Blues, a militia that operated as a fraternal service organization during peacetime, commissioned this ewer from the Baltimore firm of A. E. Warner around 1859. They presented it, along with a tray and two goblets, to an officer in their unit, Lieutenant John R. Johnson (possibly died 1880). The ewer’s extensive repousse ornament includes many symbols related to battle and American patriotism, like cannons and bayonets, eagles, and American flags. The side opposite the dedication features a rendering of the seal of the state of Georgia.
Andrew Ellicott Warner (1786–1870) began his career as a silversmith alongside his brother Thomas Ellicott Warner (1780–1828) around 1805. After the War of 1812, they operated separately, and Andrew Warner’s firm became commercially successful. His son Andrew Ellicott Warner Jr (1814–1896) joined his father’s firm and eventually took charge of it after his death. The style of extensive repousse seen on this ewer and other objects was popularized in Baltimore by the Samuel Kirk firm, and it has come to be known as “Baltimore repousse.” A. E. Warner closed in 1893.