Tea pot and Stand London – 1792

A very pretty George III period antique silver teapot and matching stand. The teapot is attractively panelled, is finely bright-cut engraved and is surmounted by a detachable pineapple finial. A pineapple was a symbol of hospitality in the 18th century. The spout is panelled to match the shape of the pot.It is engraved to one side with the contemporary initials “M B”. The same initials are also on the matching teapot stand. To the other side of the teapot, there is an engraving “Dec 19th 1872” with the initials “G B”.It is in exactly the same script as the earlier initials and this must have been for something, such as a family wedding, 80 years after the pot was made. The teapot was almost certainly made for the Scottish market as it has a silver handle which was popular in Scotland at the time, rather than the usual wood. The capacity of the teapot is 1.2 litres (just over 2 UK pints)Dimensions: height 18.5 cm, length (handle to the tip of spout) 28.5 cm; weight 23 troy oz. This object incorporates old ivory and has been registered with Defra.