Sauceboat

An importer, retailer, and sometimes manufacturer of fashionable household goods, Baldwin Gardiner was the younger brother of Sidney Gardiner, who with Thomas Fletcher operated the leading early nineteenth-century silversmithing firm, Fletcher & Gardiner. Sidney Gardiner appears to have helped his brother establish a fancy hardware store in Philadelphia around 1815. Family connections led to the opening of Gardiner, Veron & Co. by Baldwin Gardiner and his brother-in-law Louis Veron (1793–1853). Situated at 98 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, the firm advertised a wide array of goods, from "Elegant Chinese Chessman" and "Real PARIS CHINA" to cutlery, brass andirons, looking glasses, and plated ware. The business continued to offer similar items until its dissolution in 1826. Around 1830 Baldwin Gardiner moved to New York City, where he established a furnishings warehouse at 149 Broadway, advertising as a "Manufacturer of Silverware, and Importer of Lamps and Chandeliers." This sauceboat was likely made in Gardiner’s new workshop in the early 1830s. Its graceful profile, elegant ornament, and considerable weight make it an excellent example of his oeuvre.