TO CONGRESSMEN
A silver tureen and tray[31] were given to the Honorable James R. Mann, Republican leader of the House of Representatives, by the members of the House in 1919. Mann was elected a Representative from Illinois in 1897, and he remained a member of Congress until his death in 1922. In 1912 he became minority leader. In addition to the Mann Act, his name is associated with other important legislation of the period such as the Pure Food and Drugs Act and the Woman Suffrage Amendment.
The tray, which holds the tureen, is inscribed:
James R. Mann Republican Leader from House Members of the 65th Congress, March 3rd, 1919.
It is marked on the back with “W. Sterling, 4086––16 in.” The initial represents the Wallace Silver Company.
The oval tureen is on a pedestal base. There is a scroll design around the edge of the base, the edge of the bowl, and the opening of the bowl. The piece measures 14 inches from handle to handle, is 10 inches high, and has the initials “J R M” in old English letters engraved on the side.
In the Museum’s collection is a loving cup of Chinese design that was presented by the Chamber of Commerce, Peking, China, to a party of American Congressmen on a tour of China and Japan in 1920.[32] The height of the cup is 175⁄8 inches, and its width, including the two large handles, is 155⁄16 inches. The piece is mounted on a papier-mâche base that is covered with silk. The engraved Chinese characters translate as follows:
Commemorating the welcome of Congressmen from Great America traveling in China
Respectfully presented by members of the Chinese Diet
May the spring of your well-being be as vast as the ocean.