Myer Myers

A candlestick: look from the foot to the socket

The Met’s silver Candlestick, 1755–60, was made in New York and is catalogued to Myer Myers. Object 1972.3.1a, b is 25.9 cm high overall; the record lists the removable bobeche separately.

The broad, shaped foot and rising stem make a useful exercise in looking. Trace the silhouette before the ornament. Then compare the upper fitting with the rest of the object, rather than assuming that every detachable part has always belonged together.

When documenting a similar candlestick, photograph it assembled, its underside and any safely accessible separate parts. Do not force fittings apart. Note repairs and replacements individually; an elegant outline cannot establish completeness.

A cann: an unidentified crest is still evidence

The Met calls this silver drinking vessel a Cann, dates it 1765–76 and names Myers as maker. Object 33.120.277 was made in New York and is 13.3 cm high. The museum explicitly leaves its engraved crest unidentified.

The photograph lets you compare a smooth swelling body, a prominent scroll handle and the low circular foot. The crest is a starting point for research, not permission to attach a family name without evidence.

Another Met comparison is the Creampot, 1772–76, accession 2012.244.2. Its record again names Myers as maker and lists silver as the material. It provides a comparison of forms; the record does not identify it as part of the cann’s service.

Keep separate notes for the object’s shape, its maker’s mark and its ownership engraving. Each asks a different question. A family tradition or a familiar pair of initials should be recorded as a claim until supporting evidence is found.

Torah finials: silver made for a living tradition

Princeton’s 2016 exhibition account identifies Myers’s Rimonim, or Torah finials, dated 1765–76, from Congregation Shearith Israel in New York. The paired ornaments decorate the staves of a Torah scroll. The account connects Myers with this congregation throughout his life.

Each is listed as 36.5 cm high, in silver and brass with parcel gilding. Preserve the full material description: this is not a claim that every component is solid silver. The photograph and exhibition context can be explored through the research link below.

Study ceremonial objects through their function and community as well as their ornament. Record the specific congregation named by the source, rather than merging different surviving pairs into a single object. This example is not presented as a museum-owned purchase or an item for sale.

A genuine mark can belong to an altered object

Winterthur’s Treasures on Trial examines a spice tower whose base bears a genuine Myers mark. A concealed seam and analysis showing different silver purity in the upper section exposed a composite object. The museum says the parts were almost certainly joined to deceive.

That tower is a warning, not an intact authenticated Myers work. A genuine old component does not authenticate everything attached to it. The museum’s case study brings construction and material evidence into the same investigation as the mark.

For a prospective purchase, ask for clear underside, joint and mark photographs, the provenance trail and any specialist report. If the attribution carries a substantial premium, seek qualified examination before committing. No image on this page authenticates an object offered elsewhere.