Punch ladle
Label Text
As George Washington awaited word of the official end of the war at his Newburgh, New York headquarters, he frequently entertained his officers, their wives, and visiting dignitaries. Seeking fashionable furnishings for his wartime table, he commissioned local silversmith Andrew Billing to craft this feather-edged punch ladle, similar to the tablespoons that the Philadelphia silversmith Richard Humphreys had supplied him in 1780. Partaking of a bowl of punch with his staff and guests was one means of fostering goodwill and camaraderie during an otherwise tedious time.
See also W-2535/A-D, W-2528/A-E, W-2530, and W-2532.
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Datec. 1782 - 1783
Maker
Andrew Billings
(American, 1743 - 1808)
Geography
Made -
United States
Medium/TechniqueSilver
DimensionsOverall: 12 1/4 in. x 3 3/8 in. x 2 1/4 in. (31.12 cm x 8.59 cm x 5.72 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mary Lee Bowman and Robert E. Lee IV, 1981
Object numberW-2524
DescriptionSilver punch ladle with round bowl and downturned handle with midrib; round bowl with center punch on underside and rounded drop; chased feather-edged border around edge of handle; Washington's crest, a winged griffin issuing from a ducal coronet, engraved near the end of the handle.Published ReferencesCarol Borchert Cadou, The George Washington Collection: Fine and Decorative Arts at Mount Vernon (New York: Hudson Hills Press, 2006), 97.
MarkingsMaker's mark stamped twice on the reverse of the handle: "A. BILLING" in a conforming rectangle.
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