Object Details
Object Essay
Silver sugar tongs were an important part of tea equipment and were considered a particularly appropriate gift for a woman. Prior to the Revolution, most American silver sugar tongs were of the scissor type. The earliest spring-type tongs had rather thick, pierced arms with tiny grips soldered to the tempered, curved spring. By 1790, this type of spring tong was made all in one piece, with acorn-shaped grips and delicate, bright-cut engraving.
The work of Daniel Dupuy, Jr., typifies the elegance of Philadelphia neoclassical silver, with its restrained, bright-cut engraved ornament closely resembling furniture inlay patterns.
Jennifer F. Goldsborough
Excerpted from Clement E. Conger, et al. Treasures of State: Fine and Decorative Arts in the Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the U.S. Department of State. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1991.