Chocolate Pot
1779 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Coffee was first imported to Europe from Turkey in the mid 17th century. Drinking coffee (with milk and sugar) soon became a popular sociable activity enjoyed among the wealthy classes. Coffee houses sprang up in towns and cities across Europe, which were almost exclusively male domains. Women tended to drink coffee at home with their friends and families, and they demanded silver vessels made in the latest tastes
Lille was a major centre for goldsmiths' work in the 18th century, and it is interesting that the neoclassical style introduced in Paris in the 1760s had not yet overwhelmed demand for earlier rococo designs when this pot was made in 1779. The swirling decoration, pear shaped body and shell motifs on the legs of this coffee pot are characteristic of the Rococo style.
Lille was a major centre for goldsmiths' work in the 18th century, and it is interesting that the neoclassical style introduced in Paris in the 1760s had not yet overwhelmed demand for earlier rococo designs when this pot was made in 1779. The swirling decoration, pear shaped body and shell motifs on the legs of this coffee pot are characteristic of the Rococo style.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver and turned wood |
| Brief description | Made by François-Joseph Baudoux of Lille, 1781-82.; Silver, Continental |
| Physical description | Chocolate pot, pear-shaped with swirling gadrooned body, standing on three ribbed feet, cast and applied, with turned wooden handle attached to body through silver socket at right angles to spout. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | Silver Gallery:
The swirling decoration, pear shaped body and shell motifs on the legs of this coffee pot are characteristically Rococo, though this is a late example of the style. Drinking coffee was a sociable activity demanding fashionable silver and coffee pots were made in the latest tastes. Lille was a major centre for goldsmiths' work in the 18th century, and it is interesting that the highly fashionable Neoclassical style introduced in Paris in the 1760s had not yet overwhelmed demand for Rococo designs.(26/11/2002) |
| Credit line | Purchased with funds from the Dr W.L. Hildburgh Bequest |
| Object history | Dr WL Hildburgh FSA Gift - Purchase with gift money after Hildburgh’s death Lille was a major centre for goldsmiths' work in the 18th century. The swirled gadrooning of the body, and the shell motifs of the legs are characteristically rococo. Hildburgh's generosity has allowed the Museum to continue to purchase high-quality objects to fill gaps in the collections. See: Bunt, C.G.E. "18th C. French Silver" (article archives) for general points. |
| Production | JB, unidentified |
| Summary | Coffee was first imported to Europe from Turkey in the mid 17th century. Drinking coffee (with milk and sugar) soon became a popular sociable activity enjoyed among the wealthy classes. Coffee houses sprang up in towns and cities across Europe, which were almost exclusively male domains. Women tended to drink coffee at home with their friends and families, and they demanded silver vessels made in the latest tastes Lille was a major centre for goldsmiths' work in the 18th century, and it is interesting that the neoclassical style introduced in Paris in the 1760s had not yet overwhelmed demand for earlier rococo designs when this pot was made in 1779. The swirling decoration, pear shaped body and shell motifs on the legs of this coffee pot are characteristic of the Rococo style. |
| Bibliographic reference | French Silver, RW Lightbown, Pg.86, HMSO, 1978 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.16-1963 |
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| Record created | February 9, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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