A rare silver dish cross David Hall (1767-1814), Lancaster, PA, circa 1790

Four arms emanating from a pierced round center, each having adjustable supports with pierced shell-form plate rests on scrolled legs with openwork shell-form feet, two opposing arms each engraved with a name, "John Houston" and "Susanna Houston," two arms marked to top.

H: 3 3/4 in. W: 10 1/4 in. L: 10 1/4 in., L: 13 3/4 in. (length across), Weight: 17.37 oz. t.

Note

Built at the University of Pennsylvania in 1896, Houston Hall was named after Henry Howard Houston, Jr., and was considered the first American student union. The building's namesake was a descendant of John and Susanna Houston.

Provenance

John Houston (1743-1809) and Susanna Wright Houston (married 1773), Pequa Valley, Leacock Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Mathew C. Dallett, to Richard Athenaide, to Estelina Dallett

Jonathan Trace, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, November 14, 2017

A private New Jersey collection.

Exhibition History

Three Centuries of American Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1976.

Literature

Three Centuries of American Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1976, illustration pl. 97.