This exuberant tureen exemplifies the highly imaginative and technically advanced hollowware that made Gorham one of the leading silver manufacturers in the 19th century. In 1869 the firm was the first major American silver company to introduce Japanese-inspired designs into their product line, ahead of competitors like Tiffany and Company. This vessel features aquatic motifs, likely drawn from Japanese prints: giant carp and a turtle, articulated in deep relief, thrash in violent waters, while the undulating body of the tureen itself suggests the movement of the sea.