Teapot
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
8 5/8 x 9 7/16 x 6 1/4 in. (21.9 x 24 x 15.9 cm); 28 oz. 15 dwt. (894.3 g)
Classification
Teapot
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Mali, 1944
Accession Number
44.117.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant silver teapot, crafted by the New York silversmith firms, Tompkins and Black collaboration with Charters, & Dunn between 1848 and 1851, exemplifies the craftsmanship of mid-19th-century American decorative arts. Measuring 8⅝ x 9⅞ x 6¼ inches and weighing a substantial 28 ounces 15 dwts, its generous proportions and hefty silver construction reflect the era's emphasis on luxurious household objects that conveyed status and hospitality. Teapots like this were central to American social rituals, symbolizing refinement amid the nation's growing prosperity before the Civil War. The me...
About the Artist
Ball, Tompkins and Black|Charters, Cann & Dunn (American|American) · 1826 |1839 –1863 |1851
baptized 1799, active New York, 1826–63|active 1839–51