[0.875 SILVER] - Jan Pogorzelski - 19th century, 1872 - Warsaw - Box-shaped Sugar Bowl with Floral Ornament; Tableware, Table Arts, Vessels, Varsaviana, Tsarist Russia

Silver Box-Shaped Sugar Bowl – Jan Pogorzelski, Warsaw, 1872
Warsaw, 1872
Maker: Jan Pogorzelski
84-złotnik silver, corresponding to approximately 875/1000
Techniques: sheet metal forming, casting, engraving, soldering
Dimensions: 150 × 113.5 × 81 mm
Weight: 536 g
A solid sugar bowl in the shape of a rectangular casket with rounded corners, supported by four spherical feet. The body is closed by a slightly domed lid mounted on a multi-jointed hinge.
The surface of the vessel is adorned with engraved historicist decoration. The lid features a central cartouche surrounded by symmetrically arranged plant tendrils, flowers, and ornamental scrolls. The composition is complemented by delicate borders and decorative motifs in the corners. The sides of the body are adorned with a band of geometric meanders, interrupted by larger, stylized plant ornaments. The sparingly decorated sides contrast with the richer decoration of the lid.
Box-style sugar bowls were originally equipped with locks and were used to secure sugar, which remained an expensive commodity for much of the 19th century. In this particular piece, the lock mechanism has been removed, and the keyhole has been professionally filled in.
On the bottom are: a rectangular workshop mark reading “POGORZELSKI,” the workshop’s emblem in the form of a deer’s head inscribed in an oval, and the Warsaw hallmark dated 1872 with a fineness mark of 84.
Condition as shown in the photographic documentation.
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Jan Pogorzelski (1819–1875) was one of the most highly regarded Warsaw goldsmiths of the 19th century. In 1844, he established a workshop on Bielańska Street in Warsaw, which grew over the next decade into a larger manufactory with its own store. He primarily produced tableware and ceremonial silver: sugar bowls, pitchers, teapots, candlesticks, vessels, and religious objects. His works are characterized by meticulous craftsmanship and elaborate engraved decoration, combining floral, ornamental, and geometric motifs. Pogorzelski’s works are currently held in Polish museum collections, including those of the Museum of Warsaw. The date 1872 places the sugar bowl in question in the late period of the goldsmith’s career.