Following the discovery of Nevada’s Comstock Lode in 1859, silver was plentiful, becoming even cheaper after Congress embraced the gold standard in 1873. Sparing no expense, silversmiths relied on multiple techniques to make splendid objects like this ice bowl and spoon populated by polar bears. Publicity over the 1867 Alaska purchase, along with the Victorians’ taste for cold drinks, stimulated Gorham’s extravagant design. With its geographic theme and its lavish use of silver, this table decoration expresses America’s global ambitions, both political and economic.