A silver wolf head with wide eyes and flat-back ears.
Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College

A pointed silver head of a wolf. The ears point straight back, and its nose is long and thin, giving the impression that it is moving forward quickly. Its eyes are wide, giving a crazed impression. There is the texture of fur throughout, but it is the most prominent around the neck, just past the ears. There is a ring of smooth metal around its neck where it ends, making it look like a severed and mounted head.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
2012.6
People
Thomas Pitts I, British (active c. 1744-1793)
Title
Stirrup Cup in the Form of a Fox's Head
Other Titles
Former Title: George III Antique English Silver Stirrup Cup
Classification
Vessels
Work Type
handle
Date
1771
Places
Creation Place: Europe, United Kingdom, England, London
Culture
British
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/339949

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Silver with gilt remnants
Dimensions
6 x 8 x 14 cm (2 3/8 x 3 1/8 x 5 1/2 in.)
Inscriptions and Marks
  • inscription: engraved in oval cartouche on underside: Success / to the / Tettcots Hunt / and to the / death of the / Next
  • hallmark: Thomas Pitts' maker's hallmark on cup rim: T.P [Grimwade 2875]
  • hallmark: sterling silver standard hallmark on cup rim: [lion passant]
  • hallmark: London city hallmark on cup rim: [crowned leopard]
  • hallmark: 1771 date letter hallmark on cup rim: Q

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
[J.H. Bourdon-Smith, London, England, sold]; to private collector, sold; [through Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, Thomaston, ME, November 5-6, 2011, lot 646];[to S.J. Shrubsole, New York, NY, sold]; to Harvard Art Museums, 2012.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Paul Clarke Stauffer Fund
Accession Year
2012
Object Number
2012.6
Division
European and American Art
Contact
am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Publication History

  • Steve on Steins and Other Important Things to Collect and Drink From, website, accessed February 15, 2012
  • Susanne Ebbinghaus, ed., Animal-Shaped Vessels from the Ancient World: Feasting with Gods, Heroes, and Kings, exh. cat. (Cambridge, MA, 2018), pp. 232-233, 366, cat. no. 70, repr. pp. 233, 366

Exhibition History

Subjects and Contexts

  • Google Art Project

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Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of European and American Art at am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu