American Colonial Silver
COFFEE-POTS
handles, called the “ quaich.” Lemon strainers,
either with two handles to stretch across the bowl
or with one handle having a catch to fasten to the
edge of the bowl, were decorated with geometric
perforations.
Drinking vessels, produced in profusion by the
convivial habits of a time when no transaction,
either of a business or a social nature, was carried
forward without the aid of good liquor, fall easily
into three classifications: first, the bowl, develop-
ing into the cup; second, the tankard, and, third,
the beaker. Tankards at first were broad at the
base with straight, tapering sides. The top was flat,
with a scroll purchase and an S handle, reenforced
occasionally by a rib down the side, with a plain
whistle end. Later a midband or bands were
added and the covers were domed. The whistle
end of the handle had a plain or decorated plate
soldered on. Finials appeared on the domed cover.
A swelling drum was introduced, and the handles
became more ornamented with S and C scrolls.
Cans, or mugs, followed the fashion of tankards.
Sometimes they were two-handled. They carried
loose covers with flat acanthus thumb-pieces.
Flagons, possibly designed for filling tankards,
came into use with the communion cup. The
barrel was plain, almost straight; there was a
broad splayed foot and an S handle. The covers,
with thumb-piece or purchase, were flat at first,
and later domed with finials. At the end of the
eighteenth century we find jug-shaped flagons
with spouts or ewers, and also barrel-shaped jugs.
BY PAUL REVERE
Beakers, never popular as domestic utensils,
came from Holland and Scotland, where they were
used as communion cups. The simplest form was
a plain tumbler shape, hammered out of a flat
piece of silver and tapering towards the bottom.
Later appeared a plain molding or tapered foot,
and then a molded foot with the lower part of the
cup gadrooned. As communion cups, the shape
was influenced by the reformers’ desire to depart as
far as possible from the chalice form.
Tea and coffee pots were unknown till the end
of the seventeenth century, and few were found in
this country until the middle of the eighteenth.
The shape was derived from the low pots with
spouts and covers (spout cups) formerly used for
wine and from Chinese models. The early
examples are small, owing to the scarcity of tea,
which made it a great luxury. Bohea sold in 1666
for 60s. per pound, falling by degrees in price till
by 1771 it had reached 3s. These early pots were
of plain design, circular or bell-shaped. By the
end of the eighteenth century the shapes changed
to oval and rectangular. The body was engraved
with festoons of drapery and flowers, rarely chased.
The spouts were straight or S shaped. The
handles, most of which are modern, are C shaped
with scroll thumb-piece. The first coffee pots were
plain, tapering and cylindrical. Later swelling
drums were introduced with molded bases, decor-
ated spouts and molded lids with finials. Inter-
esting examples of candlesticks, creamers, salts,
brasiers and baptismal basins were also on view.
x
COFFEE-POTS
handles, called the “ quaich.” Lemon strainers,
either with two handles to stretch across the bowl
or with one handle having a catch to fasten to the
edge of the bowl, were decorated with geometric
perforations.
Drinking vessels, produced in profusion by the
convivial habits of a time when no transaction,
either of a business or a social nature, was carried
forward without the aid of good liquor, fall easily
into three classifications: first, the bowl, develop-
ing into the cup; second, the tankard, and, third,
the beaker. Tankards at first were broad at the
base with straight, tapering sides. The top was flat,
with a scroll purchase and an S handle, reenforced
occasionally by a rib down the side, with a plain
whistle end. Later a midband or bands were
added and the covers were domed. The whistle
end of the handle had a plain or decorated plate
soldered on. Finials appeared on the domed cover.
A swelling drum was introduced, and the handles
became more ornamented with S and C scrolls.
Cans, or mugs, followed the fashion of tankards.
Sometimes they were two-handled. They carried
loose covers with flat acanthus thumb-pieces.
Flagons, possibly designed for filling tankards,
came into use with the communion cup. The
barrel was plain, almost straight; there was a
broad splayed foot and an S handle. The covers,
with thumb-piece or purchase, were flat at first,
and later domed with finials. At the end of the
eighteenth century we find jug-shaped flagons
with spouts or ewers, and also barrel-shaped jugs.
BY PAUL REVERE
Beakers, never popular as domestic utensils,
came from Holland and Scotland, where they were
used as communion cups. The simplest form was
a plain tumbler shape, hammered out of a flat
piece of silver and tapering towards the bottom.
Later appeared a plain molding or tapered foot,
and then a molded foot with the lower part of the
cup gadrooned. As communion cups, the shape
was influenced by the reformers’ desire to depart as
far as possible from the chalice form.
Tea and coffee pots were unknown till the end
of the seventeenth century, and few were found in
this country until the middle of the eighteenth.
The shape was derived from the low pots with
spouts and covers (spout cups) formerly used for
wine and from Chinese models. The early
examples are small, owing to the scarcity of tea,
which made it a great luxury. Bohea sold in 1666
for 60s. per pound, falling by degrees in price till
by 1771 it had reached 3s. These early pots were
of plain design, circular or bell-shaped. By the
end of the eighteenth century the shapes changed
to oval and rectangular. The body was engraved
with festoons of drapery and flowers, rarely chased.
The spouts were straight or S shaped. The
handles, most of which are modern, are C shaped
with scroll thumb-piece. The first coffee pots were
plain, tapering and cylindrical. Later swelling
drums were introduced with molded bases, decor-
ated spouts and molded lids with finials. Inter-
esting examples of candlesticks, creamers, salts,
brasiers and baptismal basins were also on view.
x