Cup

Title:

General Benjamin F. Butler

Object Name:

Cup

Object ID:

1914.007.04 a

Creator:

Lux, Rudolph T. (1824-1868)Artist

Place of Origin:

New Orleans, LA

Date:

1862

Description:

Cup. Hard paste porcelain, hand painted over glaze and applied gilt. Round rim cup with foot ring, and scrolled handle. Miniature portrait opposite handle of General Benjamin F. Butler (1818-1893) done in oval. He wears the Union Army general's uniform; flanked by 2 gold eagles that hold a gold swag between them inscribed "E PLURIBUS UNUM". Above each of the eagles is part of a furled American flag inscribed "BATON ROUGE / AUG / 5 / 1862". Gold stars on either side of portrait. Inside of cup about halfway down is lined with gold, inscribed in old English script on mat banner on a polished interior gold band: "GEN! WHEN YOU DRINK REMEMBER THE GIVERS". Bottom of cups reads in gold lettering: "PAINTED & DECORATED / BY / RUDOLPH T. LUX. / N. O. AUG. 1862." Two gold bands in bottom of cup.

Material:

Ceramic
Porcelain

Dimensions:

H-3.3 W-4.8 Dia-4.1 inches

Provenance:

Letter from donor, Charlotte Butler Stevens (1840-1925) of Nottingham, NH: "A piece of China from a set given to Gen. B. F. Butler, by some prominent men of New Orleans, at the close of the Civil War, painted by quite a prominent artist of this time. This piece was given to my mother, his sister, Mrs. Betsey M. Stevens, and by her to me." General Benjamin Franklin Butler, born 1818, Deerfield, NH, was the half-brother of the donor's mother, Betsey Morrill Butler Stevens (1808-1904). The donor was the sister of Elizabeth Stevens Bachelder (1829-1914). It was after Elizabeth's death that Charlotte donated this object pertaining to their uncle, General Benjamin F. Butler, as well as several items pertaining to Elizabeth's husband, artist John Badger Bachelder (1825-1894).

Credit Line:

Gift of Charlotte Butler Stevens and the Estate of Elizabeth Stevens Bachelder

People:

Butler, Benjamin F. (1818-1893), Lux, Rudolph T. (1824-1868), Stevens, Betsey M. (1808-1904), Bachelder, John Badger (1825-1894), Bachelder, Elizabeth B. (1828-1914), Stevens, Charlotte B. (1840-1925)

Subjects:

Butler, Benjamin