Browse

Accession #	1997.188.2
Maker	William Simpkins
Title	Teapot
Date	ca. 1750
Medium	Silver, wood
Dimensions	6 1/8 x 9 9/16 x 4 15/16 in. (15.6 x 24.3 x 12.5 cm)
Marks	Engraved on bottom: E B with Y-like figure between.
Inscriptions	no inscriptions
Signed	no signature
Credit Line	Gift of Wunsch Americana Foundation, Inc.
Location	American Identities: Colony to Nation / Inventing American Landscape
Description	Silver teapot with inverted, pear-shaped body on stepped, molded, applied foot ring. Short, cast, s-shaped spout with fluted panels at lower section and blank acanthus pad at the top of spout. C-shaped wooden handle with c-curved thumb rest; cylindrical lower socket, scrolled upper socket. Slightly domed, hinged lid with cast, inverted pineapple finial. Shoulder of pot is chased with ruffles, c-scrolls, and floral motifs. Chased, eight-pointed medallion centers finial. CONDITION: Normal wear, otherwise fine.

Curatorial Remarks: Tea, imported from Chinese estates, was an expensive luxury until the end of the eighteenth century, requiring equipment for its brewing, serving, and consumption. Silversmiths fashioned a variety of vessels for the beverage. The swelling inverted-pear form, engraved decoration, and glistening silver of this teapot would have emphasized the cost of the materials and the wealth of the owner rather than the labor used to produce and serve the drink.