Hot Water Urn
1 of 4
Object Label
Long assumed to be the work of an American workshop, this silver urn bears a mark, “SS,” that is now known to be that of Sun Shing, a Chinese silversmith who worked in the port city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton). Sun Shing made pieces for European and American consumers in the clean-lined, Georgian style practiced by Paul Revere and his contemporaries. Later in the nineteenth century, Sun Shing’s workshop would adapt to changing Western tastes, making heavier, more elaborately decorated pieces and adding more “Chinese-looking” motifs such as dragons and pagodas.
Caption
American; Simeon Soumaine American, baptized 1685–ca. 1750. Hot Water Urn, 1800. Silver, bone or ivory, pigment, Lid and body together: 18 3/4 × 10 1/2 × 8 1/2 in. (47.6 × 26.7 × 21.6 cm) Lid only: 6 × 4 1/2 in. (15.2 × 11.4 cm) Body only: 15 1/8 × 10 1/2 × 8 1/2 in. (38.4 × 26.7 × 21.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, George C. Brackett Fund, 33.244. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 33.244_threequarter_PS11.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Maker
Title
Hot Water Urn
Date
1800
Medium
Silver, bone or ivory, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
Lid and body together: 18 3/4 × 10 1/2 × 8 1/2 in. (47.6 × 26.7 × 21.6 cm) Lid only: 6 × 4 1/2 in. (15.2 × 11.4 cm) Body only: 15 1/8 × 10 1/2 × 8 1/2 in. (38.4 × 26.7 × 21.6 cm)
Markings
S S in rectangle. (refers to maker Sun Sing, from Canton, China)
Credit Line
George C. Brackett Fund
Accession Number
33.244
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
What liquid would this vessel have held?
This urn would have held boiling hot water to make tea. I love the little piece of bone dyed green to resemble jadeWhat is this? It looks like a Russian samovar, but it’s in the Asian art section.
Much like a samovar, this is a hot water urn. It was made in China for export to the United States. Following the American Revolution, the US traded directly with China for silver goods at a fraction of the prices they paid under British rule. They wished to demonstrate their affluence. This urn was also used for tea in a communal setting over long periods of time.What was this used for?
This urn was meant for hot water, just like one you might see at a meeting today! Moving the green handle opened the spigot and you could pour water into your cup for tea.
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