Terms and conditions of use
Argyle
(c. 1790)
- Medium
- earthenware
- Measurements
- 14.5 × 8.7 cm (overall)
- Place/s of Execution
- England
- Accession Number
- 2024.248.a-b
- Department
- International Decorative Arts
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Patricia Begg OAM Bequest, 2024 - Gallery location
- Not on display
- About this work
-
Argyles were vessels for gravy, designed to keep it warm on the long journey from the kitchen to the dining table. They comprised a main receptacle with a long spout attached at the base and below this a separate compartment for hot water, which was filled via an opening at the back. The gravy at the bottom would be poured first, where it was warmest, leaving the fat that had formed on the top untouched. The handle on the side references chocolate and coffee pots of the later eighteenth century, when the handle was moved for greater ease of pouring.