Scalloped spoon

Since the arrival of European settlers in North America, silver has held an important place in the religious, public, and private spheres of the life they created. For nineteenth-century Euro-Americans, silversmithing resonated with romantic notions of the nation’s colonial past, and reflected the cultural value placed on refinement and gentility. By the mid-nineteenth century, traditional techniques of fabricating silver were phased out in favor of mass manufacturing. With the introduction of the commercialized silver-plating process, middle-class households could now afford presentation-worthy pieces for their homes. Decoration in revival styles such as Gothic, Rococo, and Colonial became prevalent. Despite the predominance of large manufacturers, local artisans still produced luxury silverware, often for both public and private ceremonial purposes.