Minneapolis Institute of Art

Wine cooler

Paul Storr

Date

c. 1825

Medium

Silver, gilt

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The wine cooler, or ice pail, was a French refinement for keeping wines cold at the dining table. By the Regency period in England, the wine cooler had become an important part of the decorative scheme, almost a piece of sculpture that was left out for the entire meal. Storr's Neoclassical design echoes a classical Greek vase. The handles are cast in the shape of twining grape stems, and the body is elaborately decorated with a profusion of cast and chased grapevines, acanthus leaves, scrolls, and vases of fruit. This wine cooler was repurposed as a racing trophy for the Ayr Gold Cup the same year it was made. The horse race has been held in Ayr, Scotland, since 1804 and still takes place each September. The inscription notes that John Anstruther Thomson was the owner of the winning steed, Lancer. Europe

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