Gold-edge Coffeepot

Name/Title

Gold-edge Coffeepot

Entry/Object ID

2023.30.38

Description

Small white coffeepot with a ribbed body and gold edging; it is straight with a gently curving base and spout. A matching lid is attached by a metal hinge that was added later. There is no maker's mark, but "France" is stamped on the underside of the vessel.

Made/Created

Date made

1820 - 1950

Place

* Untyped Place

France

Dimensions

Width

5-1/2 in

Length

5-1/2 in

Diameter

2-3/4 in

Material

China, Metal

Provenance

Notes

The maker and creation date for this porcelain coffeepot are unknown. The stamp on the bottom identifies it as originating from France. It belonged to the family of Rev. Patrick Henry Fontaine (1841–1915), a great-grandson of Patrick Henry, and was used in his home, "Fontainbleau." Fontainbleau was built by Fontaine on 500 acres of land purchased in 1832. The donors noted that several of the Fontaine family members were inventors or engineers and may have added the metal hinge to the lid themselves. Fontaine's granddaughter, Catherine Spotswood Fontaine Lawrence (1938–2015), left this object and others to her stepdaughter and son-in-law, Monique and Philip Heller, who gave them to PHMF on May 3, 2023.