This soup tureen’s function is almost entirely hidden by its elaborate sculptural ornament. The architectural form of the tureen rests on a cushion of delicately rendered flowers on the backs of two reclining goats. The goats’ heads are part of the tureen. When the vessel is placed on its stand, as it is shown here, their heads appear to rest on scrolls and floral garlands that encircle their shoulders. When the tureen is removed from its stand, the scrolls frame the goats’ heads. The asymmetrical but well-balanced design keeps the eye moving restlessly from one nature-inspired detail to the next: the fur of the goats, the dimpled skin of the lemons, and the intricate flowers and leaves. 

The tureen may have been owned by Charles Seymour, Duke of Somerset (1662–1748), whose family crest is engraved on the tureen’s liner.

Paul Crespin (1693/4–1770), Tureen and Stand. Sterling silver, 1740–1. 14 3/16 × 21 7/16 in. (36 × 54.5 cm). Purchased with funds from the Florence Scott Libbey Bequest in Memory of her Father, Maurice A. Scott, 1964.51a–d. On view in Gallery 27.