Silver was firmly established as a symbol of wealth, status, and power by the 1800s. Throughout history, styles largely followed the taste of the reigning monarch and thus reflected the political and social alliances that underpinned the aristocracy in Britain. The frieze of scrolls surrounding the handle, the acanthus leaf supporting the lip, and the dolphin heads framing the hinge on this ewer are characteristic of a bolder expression of classical taste favored during the Regency period (1811–20).