ANTIQUE SILVER COFFEE POTS
Antique Silver coffee pots Description:
A tall hollow covered vessel for serving coffee with an insulated handle.
Antique Silver coffee pots History:
The earliest known examples date from the middle 17th century (coinciding with the earliest import of coffee) but they are rare in silver before 1700. They have been made in large quantities since then and are still being made today.
Antique Silver coffee pots Design:
Their design and shape followed the prevailing fashion. Early pots before 1730 were always plain without any chasing, and were often straight-sided round or octagonal. Handles were normally attached directly opposite the spout, but sometimes side-handled coffee pots were made, for ease of pouring. The period from 1730 to 1770 was characterised by ornate chased designs, and the bodies becoming more bellied and curved. Neoclassical designs dominated the late 1700s. Then into the 19th and 20th centuries we see a wide variety of forms ranging from Regency, Victorian, Art Nouveau, through to Art Deco. The earlier pots, up to the Regency period, had wooden handles. Later pots up to about 1890 had silver handles with bone/ivory insulators. Then in the 20th century the general preference was for wooden handles again.
Antique Silver coffee pots Collectors Note:
The age, condition, level of craftsmanship and their aesthetic qualities determine their value. All lids and silver handles must be part-marked. Points to look out for are replaced lids or handles, repaired spouts, handle joints, and lid hinges, later-chased bodies, and thin areas where crests have been added and removed.