The american taste of a queen: Gorham Manufacturing Co. silver in the Royal Household

Abstract

The renowned taste of Queen Maria Pia (1847-1911) for silverware and her genuine interest in following the production of some of the most innovative manufacturers in this branch of decorative arts, both within and outside Europe, is clearly evident in the silver pieces she acquired from the American firm Gorham Manufacturing Company in the 1880s. Far beyond their utilitarian nature, these are sophisticated and alluring artistic objects that stand out for their sublime decorative fantasy, revealing in a unique way the influence of Japonism in Western art.

In this article, we present a biographical overview of the manufacturer, whose silverware objects are housed in the Ajuda National Palace. We focus on the development of this company, emphasizing its pioneering spirit in the art of working metals under the influence of the japonizing style, and we identify the silver objects under study. We explore the nature of the commission, seeking at the same time to grasp this new and peculiar facet of the queen's taste. In the future, we intend to present findings relating to the documentation of the commission and the circumstances in which this silverware was used.

This research, anchored in the study of the pieces, the interpretation of extensive contemporary documentation and specialized bibliography, benefited from a research grant in the Gorham Manufacturing Company Archive, held at the John Hay Library, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA; granted by the Luso-American Development Foundation in 2010.