Coffee Pot

Object/Artifact

-

Drexel Founding Collection

Name/Title

Coffee Pot

Entry/Object ID

4881

Category

Metal

Acquisition

Source (if not Accessioned)

Philip Syng Physick Fell, Boca Grande, FL

Notes

Date: 1979 Credit Line: Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Philip Syng Physick Fell Means of Accession: Gift

Made/Created

Artist

John Munns

Date made

1777

Place

Country

England, United Kingdom

Continent

Europe

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Mark

Location

Underside

Notes

City mark, Leopard's head crowned within shield, stamped

Type

Mark

Location

Underside

Transcription

"b" within rectangle with clipped corners

Material/Technique

Stamp

Notes

date letter

Type

Inscription

Location

Underside

Transcription

"3032"

Material/Technique

Etched

Type

Inscription

Location

Underside

Transcription

"16"02"

Material/Technique

Etched

Notes

Inscription: Underside, "

Dimensions

Height

6 in

Width

3 in

Length

6 in

Material

Sterling silver

Exhibitions

Holding Your Drink: 3,000 Years of Drinking Vessels from the Drexel and Salzberg Collections
Gateway to the University: The Collections at Drexel
Curator Pick of the Month

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Exhibition Label

Label

The official name of "sterling" added as prefix to a piece of silver indicates that it contains at least 92.5% of pure silver. The remaining 7.5% can be any other metal alloy, but most commonly copper. Although it may seem desirable to have a higher silver content, metal alloys with a silver content of more than 92.5% are too pliable to be used without resulting in dents and dings. The second alloy is required to ensure the metal's stability and resilience.

Label Type

Curator Pick of the Month

Label

This coffee pot is an excellent example of 18th century silver in the Drexel Founding Collection. A winged dragon or cockatrice crest marks the front of this ivory handled silver coffee pot. Although the coat-of-arms is unidentified, the banner below the crest's shield reads "PROBITAS VERUS HONOS" - Honest is True Honor. It is stamped with the lion passant which marks it as sterling and with the crowned leopard which indicates that it was made during the reign of George III.

Label Type

Exhibition Label

Label

The official name of "sterling" added as prefix to a piece of silver indicates that it contains at least 92.5% of pure silver. The remaining 7.5% can be any other metal alloy, but most commonly copper. Although it may seem desirable to have a higher silver content, metal alloys with a silver content of more than 92.5% are too pliable to be used without resulting in dents and dings. The second alloy is required to ensure the metal's stability and resilience.

General Notes

Note

As per previous cataloger, the date was c. 1756-1757, date changed to 1777 after comparing date marks. (K. Bishop, 6/21/2016) The armorial porcelain set with Lennard quartering Barrett (most likely same as Lord Dacre arms, c. 1760 p. 818, p. 841) came from the same donor Phillip Syng Physick Fell, 1975. (L. Clouser, 9/14/2020) Similar Coats of Arms: (David Howard, Chinese Armorial Porcelain, 1974) Barrett with Tyers in pretence c. 1785; green leaf border; arms, Gules on a chief indented argent three escallops or, in pretence, Argent a chevron gules, on a canton sable a cinquefoil; crest A cockatrice azure wings elevated and chained or (Howard, 805) Lennard quartering Barrett (Lord Dacre) c. 1760: Or, on a fess fules three fleurs-de-lis of the field quartering per pale argent and gules barry of four counterchanged, motto: “Pour bien desirer” & “Dacre” (Howard, 818, 841) Dacre. Gules, three escallops argent. 89a, 133b. before 1850, (variation?) (www.British-history.ac.uk) Corbin family or Vigery/Vicery family: Motto: Probitas verus honos