Teapot and Stand (Primary Title)
Paul Revere, American, 1735 - 1818 (Artist)
Although briefly interrupted by the 1773 Boston Tea Party, when colonists boarded three ships in Boston Harbor and tossed overboard their cargoes of imported tea in protest against Britain’s taxation policies, tea remained a popular beverage in America throughout the 18th century. Paul Revere, who was among the Boston dissenters, made this elegant teapot and stand after the Revolutionary War. The set was commissioned by Moses Hayes to mark the marriage of his daughter, Judith Hays, to Samuel Myers, son of fellow silversmith Myer Myers, whose earlier work is displayed nearby.
Revere used time – and labor-saving methods when making this teapot. Instead of hammering the silver into shape, he used manufactured sheets of rolled silver. These sheets had the added benefit of a straight edge. Casting, a process by which molten silver is poured into a mold and cooled until hardened, provided the finial and feet. These were then soldered to the lid and stand. Once complete, the delicate fluted form was detailed with intricate bright-cut engraving. Inspired by ancient Greece and Rome, the classical floral swags complemented the political philosophy of the New Republic.
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