Pair of gravyboats 1768 - 1769

These gravy boats were crafted in New York by John Kentesber, likely near 1790. Made from silver, these objects speak to the burgeoning wealth of the early American merchant class. Look closely, and you will see the attention paid to details like the cast paw feet and the beaded rims. These would have signaled refinement, luxury, and taste. During this time, New York was rapidly growing as a center of commerce and culture. Silver objects like these were not just functional; they were symbols of social status and aspiration. We can study probate inventories and merchant account books to understand the place these objects occupied in the domestic lives of wealthy New Yorkers. These gravy boats remind us that even the most seemingly simple objects can tell us stories about the social and economic conditions of their time.