An eagle ornaments the opposite side of the base.
The covered oval soup tureen (7 inches by 131⁄4 inches; cat. 39555) bears the same inscription as the centerpiece and is marked “S. Kirk & Son Co.” The cover, monogrammed “W S S,” has a rather effective design of overlapped laurel leaves with clusters of berries. The ladle (14 inches long; cat. 39556) is monogrammed “W S S” on the bowl (4 inches in diameter), and it has the same design as the tureen.
The fish platter (25 inches by 13 inches; cat. 39557) is similar to the tureen in design. The oval vegetable dish (11 inches by 151⁄4 inches; cat. 39558) is also similar and is inscribed the same way, including the mark of “S. Kirk & Son Co.”
An elaborate silver centerpiece given to Admiral Schley in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1902 consists of a bowl, vase, and candelabra made to be fitted into one unit ([fig. 15]). The large bowl (20 inches by 6 inches) is chased in marine designs and bears the following inscriptions:
Presented to Winfield Scott Schley, Admiral U.S.N. in recognition of his services in destroying the Spanish Fleet off Santiago de Cuba, July 3, 1898.
Twenty-thousand American citizens join in honoring valor, fidelity to duty and a lofty generosity that exemplified the sublimest manhood. Memphis, Tennessee, April 28, 1902.
There is glory enough for All.
The silver vase (32 inches high) is made to fit into the bowl, and it has a portrait of Admiral Schley on one side and a picture of his flagship, the Brooklyn, on the other. Each end of the bowl is fitted with a socket to hold a three-branch silver candelabra, and there are two solid blocks of silver for insertion in the sockets when the candelabra are not being used. These pieces are marked “Sterling” but no maker’s mark is visible.
A silver card (cat. 39518), measuring 31⁄4 inches by 51⁄2 inches, that was presented to Schley at a dinner given in his honor is engraved as follows:
Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley, U.S.N. The Commercial club of Kansas City, Mo., November 19, 1902.
The turn of the century marks the beginning of the popularity of loving cups as presentation pieces. There are four loving cups in the Admiral Schley collection.
The earliest of these cups bears the following inscription: