Tureen

This tureen is richly decorated with oyster, mussel, and scallop shells, as well as starfish, seaweed, and crabs. Sea creatures and seaweed were common forms in Japanese art, and their appearance here reflects Americans’ fascination with Japanese art and culture. This interest spread following an enormously popular display of Japanese wares at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial. Elaborately embellished objects, like this tureen, became more widespread in the late 19th century as silver discoveries in the American West lowered prices for this metal. Steam-powered manufacturing also increased the speed of silver production and made it less expensive to apply decoration.