An American Silver Presentation Ewer, Baldwin Gardiner, Philadelphia, dated 1820

of urn form on spreading foot with leaf-capped scroll handle, the body chased with stiff leaves and shells, engraved in front with contemporary arms and motto, the reverse with presentation inscription, double-struck on base B. Gardiner in serrated rectangle

through at lower handle terminal, insulators later, rim inside neck for cover added later, otherwise good condition
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The inscription reads: "James Boggs Esq. of Halifax N.S. to his son James Boggs of New York, July 1820."

James Boggs, Sr. (1740-1830) was born in New Castle, Delaware and studied medicine in Philadelphia.  He settled in Shrewsbury, N.J., where in 1765 he married Mary, daughter of Robert Hunter Morris, Chief Justice of New Jersey and Governor of Pennsylvania (1754-1756).  The couple had eight children.  The Boggs family resided in Shrewsbury until the onset of the Revolution, at which time Dr. Boggs enlisted as a surgeon for the British army.  While New York was in possession of the British, Dr. Boggs could only visit his family, who were at the time living near Perth Amboy, by stealth-- a tale he was noted to have taken great delight in relating in his old age.  After the Revolution the Boggs family relocated to Halifax, N.S..  James Boggs, Jr. (1769-1834) returned to the United States and settled in New York as a merchant/banker.  He married Sarah Lloyd Broome in 1806.

Baldwin Gardiner (1791-1869) was the younger brother of silversmith Sidney Gardiner, a partner in the esteemed firm Fletcher and Gardiner.  Baldwin worked for this partnership in their new Philadelphia retail shop until 1815 when he established his own fancy hardware store selling cutlery, plated wares and small personal and household accessories.  He partnered with his brother-in-law Lewis Veron from 1817 to 1826, and when this partnership dissolved Baldwin moved to New York to open a household furnishings warehouse.  The warehouse, which was located at 149 Broadway, carried imported and more substantial goods than the Philadelphia shop.  In addition to home furnishings, Baldwin retailed special order silver wares, the orders often filled by Fletcher and Gardiner.  Baldwin Gardiner's career as a silver manufacturer and retailer ended in 1848 when he moved again, to California.

This ewer is highly similar to a pair of Baldwin Gardiner ewers dated 1833-1834, illustrated in Deborah Dependahl Water's Elegant Plate: Three Centuries of Precious Metals in New York City, vol II, p. 342-343.  Dated to 1820, the present lot is apparently the earliest example in a known series of ewers.  Given that Dr. Waters has dated the similar pair to a period in which Gardiner was operating in New York, and the fact that recipient, James Boggs, was a New York resident, it is possible that this ewer could have been made while Gardiner was in New York, and that the inscription commemorates an earlier event.