Teapot
Date1740-1764
Artist/Maker
Samuel Ellis I
OriginEngland, London
MediumPewter
DimensionsOH: 6 3/8"; OL: 7 3/8"
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1936-28
DescriptionPewter teapot; pear shaped, the body having a thickened rim, molding at shoulder, swan spout, 3 legs with pad feet, and 2 deep cylindrical sockets for S-scroll pear wood handle with prominent thumb rest; hinged bell-shaped lid with central molding and tall knob finialLabel TextEngland is noted for its production of pottery and porcelain teapots. Ceramic ones obviously became the choice of most consumers, for relatively few pewter teapots were made in eighteenth-century England for domestic use. The many English pear-shaped examples in pewter, especially dating from the third quarter of the eighteenth century, were virtually all produced for the export trade and, not surprisingly, by principal makers, such as Ellis (whose work is shown at left), Henry Joseph, and John Townsend, in particular. While few English silver teapots of pear form date from after the first quarter of the eighteenth century, American silversmiths in some centers continued to fashion silver teapots of the early form almost until the Revolution. Imported and domestically produced pewter examples played a significant role in extending the popularity of this form in American homes. The painted banner, carried on July 23, 1788, In the Federal Procession by the Society of Pewterers of New York City to celebrate the ratification of the Constitution, proudly displays a pear-shaped teapot as the crest to their arms and as one of the three emblematic forms shown above a shop scene.
InscribedNone
MarkingsTouch mark a label with "S:ELLIS" within a rectangle on underside of body (Peal MPM 1547). Secondary mark a quality "X" with crown above stamped on underside of body above touch mark.
ProvenanceVendor: George C. Gebelein, Boston, Massachusetts.
