Canadian Silver Covered Soup Tureen

Laurent Amiot (1764-1839), a Paris-trained silversmith is regarded as one of Canada’s finest decorative artists.

This tureen’s deft deployment of Louis XVI and Chippendale motifs is a rare extant example of Amiot’s domestic (as opposed to ecclesiastical) practice. Only the Royal Ontario Museum has a comparable Amiot tureen – identical, in fact, except that its twin handles are wood rather than silver.

Consigned by an Ontario private collector, the tureen was commissioned by the prominent Hertel de Rouville family of Quebec City, whose armorial (crest) and motto are engraved on one side.

Note: Purchased by the National Gallery of Canada, this piece is prominently featured in the following exhibition:

“Laurent Amiot: Canadian Master Silversmith brings together an exceptional selection of silver pieces from the collection of the National Gallery of Canada, as well as from various public and private collections around the world.

Considered one of the most influential Canadian silversmiths of the 18th and 19th centuries, Laurent Amiot completely redefined his craft, turning it into an art form.

Visitors to the National Gallery of Canada can explore the brilliance and delicacy of his work through the presentation of nearly a hundred key works, most exhibited for the first time. In addition to religious vessels, accessories, and commemorative and domestic objects, the exhibition features a unique set of preparatory drawings by the artist, as well as several portraits of patrons and paintings providing further context for Amiot’s life and work.

The exhibition Laurent Amiot: Canadian Master Silversmith is organized by the National Gallery of Canada.”