The kettle became a standard item in the silver tea service around 1710. It was used to boil fresh water to make tea, which was served in the drawing room or parlour by the lady of the house. The vertical ribs of this kettle and its dolphin-mask feet were inspired by early 17th century Dutch silver in the auricular style, which imitated natural forms. The maker Paul de Lamerie (1688-1751) was the son of French Huguenot parents and came to London in the 1690s as a small child, before going on to become the most successful Huguenot smith in the city. Nearly forty kettles are known to have been made by de Lamerie between 1713 and 1751.

When the Catholic King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685, Huguenots (French Protestants) were forced to leave the country. Many were craftsmen who settled in London. Their technical skills and fashionable French style ensured the luxury silver, furniture, watches and jewellery they made were highly sought after. Huguenot specialists transformed English silver by introducing higher standards of craftsmanship. They promoted new forms, such as the soup tureen and sauceboat, and introduced a new repertoire of ornament, with cast sculptural details and exquisite engraving.

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.