Covered Urn Commemorating Caesar Augustus Rodney
Artist
John Potter
(American, 1789 - 1823)
CultureAmerican
Date1821
MediumSilver
DimensionsOverall: 17 1/2 x 10 in. (44.5 x 25.4 cm)
InscribedJ. POTTER in rectangle and NORFOLK in rectangle, struck twice on foot and once on bottom.;
Engraving on front side of body: in Latin, "To Caesar A. Rodney, jurist outstanding as much in capacity as in knowledge, who, when he had seen his fellow citizen, James Barron, distinguished commander in the American Navy, threatened with a cruel fate, could not endure the sight of an occurance so unworthy, but to the glory of his name, rushed to his aid, protected him, and wrested him from danger. This token of regard the citizenry of Norfolk gives and dedicates with a grateful heart."
Credit LineGift of the Independence National Historical Park Project
Object number54.57.1
Not on view
DescriptionThe presentation urn is a covered pear-shaped vessel, raised on a spreading foot on a stepped round base, with two lion mask ring handles at the shoulder, gadroon edge at flaring rim, and equal sized applied bands of flowers and foliage at the shoulder below the rim, at the waist, and at the base. The domed lid has an elaborately detailed berry finial with two three-dimensional rows of leaves and buds.Label TextJohn Potter American, 1789–1823 Covered Urn Commemorating Caesar Augustus Rodney, 1821 Silver This large silver urn commemorates the legal prowess of attorney Caesar Augustus Rodney (1772–1824) of Wilmington, Delaware, during his famous defense of Commodore James Barron (1789–1851). A senior officer of the frigate Chesapeake in 1807, Barron surrendered his ship to the British frigate Leopard after a brutal attack, one of the conflicts building up to the War of 1812. The United States Navy accused Barron of negligence and suspended him, but thanks to Rodney’s defense he was cleared of all charges. The citizens of Norfolk honored the lawyer with this commemorative urn, commissioned from local silversmith John Potter. Gift of the Independence National Historical Park Project. Conserved through the generosity of Allan L. Segal, in memory of Joan Sue Segal, and with funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts 54.57.1 John Potter American, 1789–1823 Covered Urn Commemorating Caesar Augustus Rodney, 1821 Silver The Latin inscription on this urn reads: To Caesar A. Rodney, jurist outstanding as much in capacity as in knowledge, who when he had seen his fellow citizen, James Barron, distinguished commander in the American Navy, threatened with a cruel fate, could not endure the sight of an occurrence so unworthy, but to the glory of his name, rushed to his aid, protected him, and wrested him from danger. This token of regard the citizenry of Norfolk gives and dedicates with a grateful heart. Gift of the Independence National Historical Park Project. Conserved through the generosity of Allan L. Segal, in memory of Joan Sue Segal, and with funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts 54.57.1 ProvenanceThe cup was commissioned by an unidentified group of Norfolk citizens to be given to the Delaware attorney Caesar Augustus Rodney (1772--1824) for his successful defense of Norfolk's native son Commodore James Barron (1769--1851) in a notorious trial in which Barron was charged with negligence in surrendering his ship to the British in 1807. Caesar A. Rodney was United States Attorney General under Jefferson from 1807 to 1811, and served in the Delaware and United States House of Representatives and in Congress at various times. He dies in Buenos Aires while serving as the first United States minister plenipotentiary to the Argentine Republic. Rodney's family presented the urn to Independence Hall in Philadelphia in 1920, and in 1954 the urn was placed on permanent loan at the Chrysler Museum in Commodore Barron's home town of Norfolk. This is an especially important piece made by a young silversmith who trained in Alexandria. Exhibition History"Treasures for the Table: Silver from the Chrysler Museum," The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA, June 15 - Aug. 6, 1989; R. W. Norton Art Gallery, Shreveport, LA, Sept. 30 - Nov. 25, 1989; Columbia Museum, Columbia, SC, Dec. 16, 1989 - Feb. 10, 1990; Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute Museum of Art, Utica, NY, June 2 - July 28, 1990; Huntington Galleries, Huntington, WV, Aug. 25 - Oct. 20, 1990; Albany Museum of Art, Albany, GA, Nov. 17, 1990 - Jan. 12, 1991; The Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach, FL, Feb. 15 - March 17, 1991. "Silver from the Chrysler Museum," The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Va., Decorative Arts Gallery, Sept. 16, 1993 - Feb. 11, 1994. "In the Neatest, Most Fashionable Manner: Three Centuries of Alexandria Silver," The Lyceum, Alexandria, VA, Oct. 28, 1994 - Feb. 5, 1995. "Place, Setting & Time: Early Tidewater Silver," Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum, Portsmouth, Va., May 27 - September 4, 2005. "The Norfolk Rooms," Willoughby-Baylor House, Norfolk, VA, opened August 16, 2014.Published ReferencesRonald May, "Mystery Feud Still Haunts Naval Annals," Features: Books and Arts section, _NorfolkVirginian-Pilot_ (November 14, 1954): cover of features page. Catherine B. Hollan, "State Silver: Virginia's Caesar Rodney Urn," _The Magazine Silver_ 16 (March/April 1983): 26-28. Essays by David Revere McFadden, entries by Mark A. Clark, _Treasures for the Table: Silver from the Chrysler Museum_, exh. cat., The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Va., 1989, 80, 83, no. 43. Catherine B. Hollan, _In the Neatest, Most Fashionable Manner: Three Centuries of Alexandria Silver_, exh. cat., The Lyceum, Alexandria, Va., 1994, 153-154, 189, no. 130. Bill Eley, "With a Grateful Heart," _The Day Book_ 3 (January/February 1997): 5, 10.
1990
