Elizabeth Muns facts for kids
Elizabeth Muns was an English silversmith who was active around the year 1768. A silversmith is a skilled craftsperson who makes beautiful objects out of silver, like dishes, spoons, and decorative items.
Who Was Elizabeth Muns?
Not much is known about Elizabeth Muns' life. People believe she might have been the wife of another silversmith named John Muns, who had passed away.
She officially registered her unique mark on May 3, 1768. This mark was like her special signature that she put on all her silver creations. Her workshop was located at 3 Bull and Mount Street in a part of London called St Martin's Le Grand.
It seems she worked as a silversmith for only about a year after her husband's death. However, her special mark has been found on some silver items made much later. For example, her mark is on a "George III fish slice" from 1804. It might also be on a "punch ladle" from 1795. This is a bit of a mystery, as it suggests her mark was used for a longer time.
Her Amazing Silver Creations
Elizabeth Muns created several beautiful silver pieces that are still admired today.
One of her silver items is a "George III sauce boat" made in 1768. This elegant piece is now part of the collection at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
She also made a pair of "tripod saltcellars." These are small dishes used to hold salt, often with three little legs. A man named Bathurst Skelton bought these saltcellars. After his death, his wife, Martha Jefferson, brought them with her when she married Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson later became the third President of the United States. Today, these special saltcellars can be seen at Monticello, which was Thomas Jefferson's home.
