Coffee Urn 1845

Andrew Ellicott Warner crafted this ornate coffee urn from silver sometime in the early 19th century, in Baltimore. The urn, beyond its function, speaks volumes about the social rituals and economic realities of its time. Silver, a precious material, immediately signals wealth and status. The elaborate decoration, featuring pastoral scenes and floral motifs, reflects the aesthetic preferences of a burgeoning American elite eager to emulate European aristocratic tastes. Baltimore, as a major port city, thrived on international trade, including the coffee that this urn was designed to serve. Consider how the very act of consuming coffee became a social ritual, a display of refinement and leisure, reinforcing class distinctions. To fully appreciate the cultural significance, we would need to delve into the mercantile histories of Baltimore, the changing social meanings of coffee, and the artistic networks that connected American silversmiths to global trends. The meaning of art objects lies in the web of social relations in which they are produced, circulated, and consumed.