Inspired by florid French rococo sources, Samuel Kirk’s repoussé silver became synonymous with the city of Baltimore. Repoussé (meaning “pushed back”) describes a process in which patterns are raised in relief by hammering on the reverse side of the metal. Here, the shapes of individual pieces recall ancient classical forms, but the repoussé ornament consists of fanciful buildings in a vaguely Gothic style set amidst masses of flowers. The inscription “11 oz.” on pieces of this tea and coffee service indicate that it was made of coin silver. The service also bears the initials of Margaret Hopkins Janney (born in 1842 in Maryland). Her uncle, Baltimore philanthropist Johns Hopkins, gave her the service as a wedding present when she married Joseph Elliott, probably around 1860. The coffeepot was made about 1880 to match the tea set.