Tea Urn in the Shape of Atlas Supporting the World

Object Details

Thomas Heming, English, 1723 – 1801

Catalogue Status: Research in Progress
Description: Tea urn in the form of Atlas supporting the world. Triangular base (a) with openwork decoration, on three ball feet, supporting kneeling figure of Atlas holding a spherical urn (b) on his shoulders. Urn relief decoration featuring four wreathed circular medallions, each suspended from a bow and showing one of four allegorical figures of the continents (Europe, Asia, America, and Africa) with attributes. Embossed acanthus leaves supporting two ring handles. Two pendant laurel leaf tassels, each with oval medallion showing a female head in profile. One pendant tassel conceals a spout; its moveable medallion covers a keyhole. Slightly domed lid (c) engraved with heraldic lion sejant, and moveable laurel leaf finial with perforated stem at center. Interior cylinder (for heating liquid) is base metal.

1777

Medium: silver, metal (interior cylinder), wood (base)
Dimensions: H x W x D (overall): 43.5 × 25 × 20 cm (17 1/8 × 9 13/16 × 7 7/8 in.); H x W x D (base, figure, and interior cylinder (a)): 27.9 × 15.7 × 13.7 cm (11 in. × 6 3/16 in. × 5 3/8 in.); H x W x D (urn (b)): 18.2 × 25 × 20 cm (7 3/16 × 9 13/16 × 7 7/8 in.); H x diam. (lid with moveable finial (c)): 8 × 9.1 cm (3 1/8 × 3 9/16 in.); H x diam. (domed lid only): 1.9 × 9.1 cm (3/4 × 3 9/16 in.); H x diam. (moveable finial only): 8.5 × 2.5 cm (3 3/8 in. × 1 in.)

See more items in: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection; Product Design and Decorative Arts Department

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq44cc28e86-517a-46bf-88d8-95153103b260