Fine Eight-Piece George III Silver Tea and Coffee Service

Description:

Fine Eight-Piece George III Silver Tea and Coffee Service, London, 1808-09, Benjamin and James Smith, makers, comprising round teapot with flat lid and entwined snake finial, one flaring flatleaf base, ht. 6 3/8, a round teapot stand with wooden base, dia. 5 7/8, an urn-form coffeepot with palmette decoration below spout, and high loop handle, on short hoof feet, ht. 11, ovoid creamer with similar spout decoration, open sugar bowl with ovolo rim and loop handles, a bowl with matching ovolo rim, dia. 7 1/2, a ovoid chocolate pot/brandy sauce pan with handle set at right angle to the short spout, raised on base with three reeded paw feet enclosing burner, and an urn-form hot water kettle with high loop handle, on tripartite stand with three sphinx herm legs ending in hoof feet, enclosing burner accented with pharaoh masks, ht. 13 3/4 in., all elements decorated with geometric Greek key-style rims or waist bands, the pots with ivory handles accented with Minerva heads at terminals, engraved with coat of arms mottoed "Virtuti" and with small stag head crest, approx. 206 troy oz. total.

Provenance: Purchased at The Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company, London, July 31, 1952. Coat of arms attributed to the Dick family of Braid, Midlothian.
Estimate $7,000-9,000

minor age wear throughout. Marks good throughout.
teapot: marked for Benjamin Smith only, 1808. minor age wear, age typical lining to ivory handle, and with small loss to piece of ivory at join of top of handle to body.
teapot stand: good.
coffeepot: dent to one side of body at Greek key band (approx. 2"),minor ding to footrim; age lining to ivory handle, with shrinkage cracks at top and bottom of handle.
creamer: good.
open sugar: small ding to one side of body just below greek key band
bowl: minor pinpoints to interior
chocolate/ brandy pan: all elements hallmarked. good.
kettle: small dings to neck, thumb-sized dent to base of body. typical lining to ivory handle, with crack at top near join to body. minor bent to edge of burner lid.

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