George III Sheffield Plated Neo-Classical Vase Shaped Tea
Urn, 1790
(E654)
An elegant and extremely beautifully proportioned George III tea
urn dating from c1790. This magnificent tea urn has been in my own personal
collection of eighteenth century silver for more than 20 years and has given me
great pleasure in using it at occasional formal teas, so I can safely say that
it is a functional tea urn.
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This tea urn is typical of the elegant classical vase shape,
popular in the last quarter of the eighteenth century. It is made from old
Sheffield plate and is a good quality piece in its original condition. Sheffield
plate was a revolutionary way in producing silver plated wares by
fabricating sheets of silver plate on both sides of a base sheet of copper. The
larger and more solid parts of this urn, such as the base and tap, are of silver
plated onto copper in the conventional way.
The main body of the tea urn is of a slender vase shape,
circular in section and having at the top and base a reeded collar.
On each side of the tea urn there are slender carrying handles,
which like the decoration of the urn and its foot, have reeded decoration to
their outer edges. Each handle is of a high loop form that tapers down to the
point where the handles join the body of the urn. At the base end of the
handles, they are pinned to the body for added strength. The top termination of
the handles is by a diamond shaped reeded pad which provides a stout termination
to the top ends of the handle to the urn.
To the front of the tea urn is the pouring tap. This like the
urn, is of a pleasing and elegant shape. The tap again has the same reeded
applied decoration to the pipe and around the tap collar. The tap mechanism is
surmounted by a domed cover that has reeded and bead decoration and is
surmounted with a vase shaped finial, reflecting the finial of the urn cover
itself.
The water supply for filling the teapot at at a ceremony is
controlled by the tap handle, a right angled tap with a green stained turned
handle. This handle is either of a fruit wood or possibly Ivory and has a reeded
centre section to it. The tap works by turning the handle a quarter turn to the
right, thus opening the inner valve allowing the hot water to flow though the
pouring spout and into a teapot. This tap mechanism is in very good working
order and very easy and smooth in its operation. On the end of the tap spout it
is impressed with 'PATENT', so the mechanism must have been patented by the
manufacturer of the urn.
The spout of the tea urn is firmly fixed to the urn by a
circular plate which is punched with a letter 'P', the meaning of which I do not
know.
The tea urn sits on a turned circular reeded stem which then
sits on a square base with four feet. The base is fabricated of a stepped square
section with a turned ball foot on each corner upon which the urn sits. each if
the four fee unscrew from threaded pins. The feet are of a reeded pear shape and
are of very good proportion for the urn.
The cover of the tea urn is of a low and slender concave dome
which rises to a mushroom decorative finial surmounted by a turned vase
shaped top. the decoration of the mushroom portion of the cover again has the
reeded decoration as well as punched ovals.
The urn cover is removed by simply lifting it off by the
mushroom collar and it has a wide rim which fits snugly into the urn when in
place. Stamped on the rim is the letter 'M', again, I am unsure of the
significance of this letter.
Inside the urn there is a central hollow metal column which has
a steel cover to it. This would have originally housed a cylinder of cast iron.
The way in which this urn would have been used to keep water hot during the
formal tea ceremony was to heat the cylinder of cast iron in the fire until it
was red hot. this would then have been placed into the hollow tube and the cover
put on. Thus when the urn was filled with boiling water used to replenish the
teapot, it would be kept hot by the internal red hot iron. Sadly, the original
iron is not with the urn, but when I have used it I found that water will keep
hot in the urn without the need of the hot iron.
The underside of the foot of the tea urn reveals the iron base
plate and central securing nut.
This tea urn is a very fine example of a late eighteenth century
tea urn that is both functional and extremely decorative. A charming thing to
have sat upon a formal tea table and wonderful conversation piece. It has
certainly done me very good service over the years and will continue to do so
for its new owners.
A stunningly elegant George III Sheffield Plated tea urn that
is not only beautiful, but functional. A fine tea urn for the collector of
eighteenth century tea wares, c1790.
Size
and Weight: (values are approximate)
Marks:
There are no manufacturer's marks on this tea urn. There is a punched letter
'M' on the rim of the cover and the letter 'P' punched on the spout support
plate, the meanings of which I do not know.
This beautiful George III tea urn is in good original condition
and I can say, having had it in my own collection for over 20 years, that it is
also a good functional tea urn. Being a silver plated item (Sheffield Plate), it
does have some areas where the silver has worn through to the copper. this is
mainly, as one would expect, on high points, such as on the foot and the stepped
sections, the reeded decoration and reeding of the spout. This 'bleeding'
through of the copper is perfectly acceptable and to be expected on Sheffield
plated items from the eighteenth century and now only add to its considerable
charm.
As well as some wear to the silver on the high spots as
mentioned above, there is an area on the front to one side of the spout where
the copper has bled through. I have indicated this in the picture below.
The only other minor imperfections to this magnificent tea
urn is a very slight fracture to one carrying handle, as shown in the picture
below. This does not appear to affect the strength of the handle, which is still
very firm and strong. Also, on the steel cover inside the urn, the little weld
joint is split, but is an extremely minor point and just part of the urns long
life and history. Finally, the back right hand ball foot is at a slight angle
where it has obviously taken a little knock at sometime, but does not affect the
tea urn in any way.
This remains a very elegant and serviceable tea urn from the late eighteenth
century, c1790. An urn that would grace any formal afternoon tea table for the
connoisseur collector of eighteenth century English silver or tea wares..
