Samuel Kirk
Hot Water Urn
1829-1845
Physical Qualities
Silver, ivory, Urn: 16 3/4 × 8 1/2 × 8 3/8 in. (42.5 × 21.6 × 21.3 cm.)
Cover: 3 7/8 × 3 7/8 × 2 1/8 in. (9.8 × 9.8 × 5.4 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of The Honorable and Mrs. John W. Sause, and R. Barkley Sause, Centreville, Maryland, in Memory of Eleanor Addison Williams Miles
Object Number
2001.321
Samuel Kirk hot water urn; hand-chased sterling silver; 1830-1846. Belonged to the Gittings family of Baltimore. Elaborately decorated with floral, foliate, and exotic chinoiserie repoussé. The landscape designs depict various pagoda structures and figures traveling in a boat. The cast, round foot is chased in a complimentary floral design. There are two cast rectangular handles on each side of the urn. The separate lid is surmounted by a flower finial. The spigot, which has an ivory insulator, has a cast eagle finial. A cartouche is engraved with the Gittings family crest, which features a long-necked bird with a horseshoe in its bill and the script letter 'G' below.
Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 2001; John W. (d. 2021) and Julia "Judy" B Sause (b. 1935), and their son R. Barkley Sause, Centreville, MD likely by descent; Clarence William Miles (1897-1977) and Eleanor Addison Williams Miles (1902-1999), Blakeford, MD, likely by descent; William Smith Gittings Williams (1863-1918) and Julia Bell Deford Williams (1872-1921) Baltimore, MD likely by descent; George Hawkins (1818-1889) and Eleanor Addison Gittings Williams (1824-1881) Baltimore, MD likely by descent; John Sterett Sr. (1798-1879) and Eleanor Addison Smith Gittings (d. 1848)
Inscribed: Front: Gittings family crest, which features a long-necked bird with a horseshoe in its bill and the script letter 'G' below
Markings: Base, outside rim, stamped: "S KIRK" "SK" "11.OZ"
