Chocolate Pot
1750-51 (hallmarked)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Chocolate pots can be distinguished from coffee pots by their removable finial, which allows the hot chocolate to be stirred before pouring.
This chocolate pot has an identical bird-form spout to that on a coffee pot in the Gilbert Collection (Loan:Gilbert.978-2008) by another silversmith, William Cripps. A specialist maker would have made both spouts and supplied them to the specific goldsmiths. The pot is characteristic of Rococo silver, with swirling ornament of shells, scrolls, foliage and scalework of marine features and a hidden peacock.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
This chocolate pot has an identical bird-form spout to that on a coffee pot in the Gilbert Collection (Loan:Gilbert.978-2008) by another silversmith, William Cripps. A specialist maker would have made both spouts and supplied them to the specific goldsmiths. The pot is characteristic of Rococo silver, with swirling ornament of shells, scrolls, foliage and scalework of marine features and a hidden peacock.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Raised, cast, chased, engraved silver and carved shell |
| Brief description | Silver, pear shaped pot with rococo decoration and a spreading circular foot |
| Physical description | Silver, pear shaped pot with rococo decoration and a spreading circular foot |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | The arms are those of Hanbury, impaling Campbell Provenance: S.J Shrubsole Corporation, New York, 1985. |
| Historical context | Chocolate pots are of identical form to coffeepots but can be distinguished by their finials, which are detachable so that the contents, which tend to settle, can be stirred before pouring. |
| Summary | Chocolate pots can be distinguished from coffee pots by their removable finial, which allows the hot chocolate to be stirred before pouring. This chocolate pot has an identical bird-form spout to that on a coffee pot in the Gilbert Collection (Loan:Gilbert.978-2008) by another silversmith, William Cripps. A specialist maker would have made both spouts and supplied them to the specific goldsmiths. The pot is characteristic of Rococo silver, with swirling ornament of shells, scrolls, foliage and scalework of marine features and a hidden peacock. Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.677:1, 2-2008 |
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| Record created | June 19, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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