English in origin and a rare form in American silver (see cat. no. 141), the monteith was reserved for grand occasions, when it assumed pride of place on the tables of the wealthy. Produced during the last quarter of the nineteenth century, an era sometimes referred to as the “gilded age,” this lavishly hand-decorated punch bowl with its crownlike rim belonged to one of Boston’s most distinguished families.

This text has been adapted from "Silver of the Americas, 1600-2000," edited by Jeannine Falino and Gerald W.R. Ward, published in 2008 by the MFA. Complete references can be found in that publication.

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