Tureen

A tureen is a deep bowl with a cover, used for serving soup at the dining table. Smaller tureens traditionally held sauces. The word tureen came to English from the French "terrine," a serving bowl made of earthenware; that word derived in turn from terra, the Latin for earth. Tureens often sat atop matching stands that protected the table underneath from heat and spills, as well as providing a resting place for an accompanying ladle. Because of its size, a tureen was an impressive part of any dinner service.

The earliest surviving English silver tureen dates from 1703; by the 1720s, silver tureens had become popular. The mark appearing on this tureen belongs to Charles Kandler, a German-born silversmith whose shop gained recognition for its Rococo silver. The tureen, however, dating to 1728 or 1729, is in the earlier, monumental Baroque style. The base, bowl, and cover are formed into paneled lobes, and the oval shape swells to form a pair of scrolling acanthus-leaf handles. The bowl is engraved with the coat of arms of the Harford family, the original owners.

Ceramic forms often imitate silver forms, but this piece may have been inspired by a German porcelain tureen from the Meissen factory.