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After a design by James Wyatt, (English, 1746 - 1813)
Made by Boulton & Fothergill, Soho, Birmingham, England
Covered Jug, 1775 -1776, silver.
Gift from the James C. Codell, Jr. Collection 1993.9.156

Matthew Boulton was an eighteenth century manufacturer whose design sensibility was most influenced by the popular tastes of the day. In the latter part of the century fashionable tastes turned to Classical Greece and Rome for design inspiration. Rather than strictly copying ancient designs, the aesthetic of the time freely mixed design elements from a variety of sources. The beading, leafy swags and medallion with the women placing a wreath on a bust were all elements that Boulton would have recombined and used across a range of designs. It was a design process well suited to his industrialized approach to silversmithing.