posted 04-03-2007 11:21 PM            

No maker's mark is on this set. I believe that it is American from about 1810, perhaps from Philadelphia. The latter is of course pure speculation and is simply based on my feeling that the best American silver was make in Philadelphia during this time period and I love this design. The bottom of the tea pot is marked with 27 oz and has radiating lines lightly cut from a center punch mark. Nothing is marked on the bottom of the creamer or sugar bowl.

I am not sure if any of the banding shown here should be included in the glossary of American silver milled banding as it is not marked as to maker and the banding itself is fairly simple. I have seen English tea pots, from this time period that used milled banding in an overhang manner as in this tea pot. These tea pots were all properly marked with the English hallmarks.

I am curious as to the difficultly in attaching the banding as an overhang in this manner. The banding would seem to be easier to solder to a surrounding piece if it could be curved on along its length rather along its width. Maybe on of our silversmiths could answer this question of how flexible a milled band is along is side as opposed to its length and how many individual pieces where made to form the final pot. I think that the lid, the pot between the upper and middle band, the part between the middle band and the top of pedestal, and the part between the top of the pedestal and the bottom band would have all been separately made and the assembled together. Then the finial, handle, spout and feet would also have to be made and assembled to the body. All in all this form was a very complicated one to make, but I am glad that some unnamed silversmith did make it.

Below is the handle of the teapot.

The handles for the creamer and sugar are identical and below are pictures of the creamer handle.

posted 05-21-2007 07:54 AM            

The fact that the Scots were the first to use silver handles is interesting. Early Kings Pattern spoons and forks in the United States had the pattern limited to one side and it is commonly stated that this follows the frugal practice in Scotland. Is there any truth in this statement? Being the first to use silver for the handles does not seem to follow the typecast of being frugal.

In England was there a definite time period when ball feet were in style? Most of the American designs seem to have come directly from England and I thought that ball feet started shortly after 1800 and were out of style by the 1830s. Of course there was a lag time between the latest English styles what was fashionable in the United States and of course there were times when wars tended to decrease our interest in things English.

posted 05-21-2007 04:51 PM            

Here is a close-up of the bird finial. I am not even attempting to identify this bird, as shown in an earlier contribution about shell-shaped ladles - I am zoologically challenged.

Tea sets with ball feet date to 1800-1820, but timelines are never so strict, as conservative customers might order sets with ball feet still later on.
Scottish as in frugal can also mean quality minded, a silver handle lasts much longer and is more beautiful - just think of all the broken, bleached out wooden handles on old teapots.

And thanks re compliments for the teapot - yes, one of the pieces which makes my heart "beat faster" when I look at it.