Covered tureen, 1846-1861, Samuel Kirk and Son, Baltimore, 1846-1861, 12 3/4 x 18 1/4 x 8 9/16 in. (32.39 x 46.36 x 21.75 cm), Silver, United States, 19th century, American silversmiths of the mid-1800s favored the rococo revival style. Harking back to French decoration of a hundred years earlier, it featured floral motifs and undulating forms. The owners of this tureen may have wished to emulate the elegant taste of French aristocrats. The tureens intricate ornamentation was created by hammering the metal from the back, a technique called repoussé.