Silversmiths: Paul de Lamerie, Peter Archambo and Jacob Hurd Silver Pieces on Display at The RISD Museum in Providence, Rhode Island

GREG ARBUTINE
Nov 25
4 min read

Paul de Lamerie Silver Pot — Paul de Lamerie Silver Coffee Pot

Silversmiths: Paul de Lamerie, Peter Archambo and Jacob Hurd Silver Pieces on Display at The RISD Museum in Providence, Rhode Island

In September of 2025, I visited the RISD Museum (Rhode Island School of Design) in Providence, Rhode Island. The museum overall, did not have very much in the way of silver on display. However, they did display a few important pieces of silver made by very famous silversmiths.

Here are some samplings of our favorite items that were displayed in the museum:

Peter Archambo I Silver Cake Basket, 1736

English, 1699-1759

This vibrant cake basket blends an English form with elegant French Rococo motifs, such as asymmetrical cartouches beneath a scalloped rim punctuated with shells. Known for his Rococo style, English silversmith Peter Archambo most likely used silver from the Americas, possibly from the mine depicted in the commemorative book nearby.

The body of the basket was hammered and raised from a sheet of silver and intricately pierced with a fretsaw to create leafy scrolls embellished with chased detailing. Two putti rise from the basket's side, arching to hold the handle between the crowns of their heads.

Silver Communion Beaker, ca. 1660

Dutch (Groningen)

Silver

In Protestant churches in the Netherlands, beakers like this one were used to serve the consecrated wine during Holy Communion. The finely executed spiked collar around the beaker's base recalls the crown of thorns placed upon Jesus's head at his crucifixion. Elegantly flared, the form is engraved with intricate scrollwork and three personifications of Christian virtue: Fortitude carries a pillar, Hope stands with an anchor by her side, and Justice holds a sword in one hand and scales in the other.

Anonymous gift in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Franklin W. Robinson 1992.051

Apollo and the Muses on Mount Silver with gilding

Flemish or French

Parnassus, ca. 1545

Silver with gilding

This gilded silver plaque depicts the Greek god Apollo playing his lyre. He is surrounded by the Muses, the nine goddesses of the arts and music. Mount Parnassus, revered as a site for creative learning, was closely associated with Apollo and the Muses.

Museum Works of Art Fund 51.502

Paul de Lamerie Coffeepot, Year 1745 Silver with wood

English, born Netherlands, 1688-1751

The ribbed and engraved body of this coffeepot is enlivened with fluid curves and scrolls on the handle, spout, and lid.

International trade brought coffee, tea, and chocolate to Europe during the 1650s, prompting silversmiths to create an array of accoutrements for serving these beverages.

This example is marked by Paul de Lamerie, a Huguenot silversmith whose individualized style earned him the epitaph of "eminent silver worker." De Lamerie is considered the first silversmith in England to embrace the French Rococo style.

Bequest of Mr. Houghton P. Metcalf, Jr. 2014.33

Jacob Hurd Teapot, ca. 1735 Silver and wood

American, 1702-1758

Gift of F. Huntington Babcock and Donald S. Babcock 60.019

TEN-DRACHMA COIN (DECADRACHM), 395-390 BCE Greek, Syracuse

Dies signed by Euainetos

Obverse: Quadriga with charioteer crowned by Victory; a group of arms below

*Reverse: Arethusa or Persephone with hair bound in barley wreath; surrounded by dolphins

Silver

Gift of Drs. Arnold-Peter C.

and Yvonne S. Weiss 2001.81.3

TEN- DRACHMA COIN (DECADRACHM), 405-400 BCE. Greek, Syracuse

Dies signed by Kimon

Obverse: Quadriga with charioteer crowned by Victory; panoply in the exergue

Reverse: Arethusa or Persephone with hair bound in an elaborate net; surrounded by dolphins

Silver

Museum Appropriation Fund 40.015.25

Porcelain with enamels and gilding Selection from the Rockefeller

Chinese, for the export market

Service, ca. 1805

Gift and Bequest from the Collection of David and Peggy Rockefeller 2017.74.38

Originally part of a large set of dinnerware ordered by a prominent family in Glasgow, Scotland, this selection of Chinese porcelain made for the export market came to be known as the Rockefeller Service, as the pattern was owned across generations and branches of the Rockefeller family.

The colorful and elaborate scenes of Chinese nobility in lakeside gardens, encircled by gilded borders and punctuated with sepia-toned landscapes, suggest that this finely crafted service was made in the imperial factory in Jingdezhen, China.

-Elizabeth A. Williams, David and Peggy Rockefeller Curator of Decorative Arts

Conclusion: If you are in the area of Providence Rhode Island, the RISD Museum is well worth a visit. Tip: Take an Uber from your hotel, the parking situation there is absolutely untenable.

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