Cream jug c. 1742

This Cream Jug was made by Samuel Burt in the eighteenth century from precious silver. Note the trifid feet, a motif appearing prominently in furniture design during the Queen Anne and Georgian periods. This foot design, with its subtle curves and three-lobed form, echoes the more ancient and pervasive claw-foot design found in various cultures across time. Think of the powerful lion paws supporting thrones in antiquity. The reappearance of these motifs reveals the enduring human fascination with stability, strength, and the natural world. Such ornamental devices engage us on a subconscious level, resonating with our primal sense of connection to animals. The symbolism of the foot as a point of contact with the earth subtly informs us that even a vessel as small as this cream jug participates in the larger symbolic vocabulary of support and grounding, linking Burt's creation to a non-linear, cyclical progression through history.