With pear-shaped body standing on graduated foot, with finely shaped ebony handle. Panel bearing inscription: “In token of sincere Friendship and in Honour of Success at the conquest of the Island of Cape Breton, Peter Warren, Esqr., Rear-Admiral of the Blue presents this piece of plate to Sir Willm. Pepperrell, Bart., Louisbourg, Commander to His Majesty’s Forces. 17 June, 1745.”
(_By courtesy of Messrs. Crichton Brothers._)]
In Paul de Lamerie’s work there is, in the graceful convolutions of the handle and the equally delightful curves in the tripod legs, something essentially proper to his craft. No potter could emulate this work. It would be too capricious in firing, and if made in porcelain it would be too fragile for use. It is therefore of interest in comparing the potter’s work with that of his contemporary the plate-worker to see how in rivalry the masters of the latter craft surpassed the worker in clay by making the full use of their own particular technique.
In all possibility the eighteenth century teapots were taken by silver-worker and potter alike from Chinese porcelain prototypes, which must have come over in considerable numbers in the trading days of John Company, as we see that the earliest lantern example of the seventeenth century proceeded from that worthy company, and there was a great number imported from Holland. Whether this be granted or not, it may be laid down as a rough rule for guidance that whenever the silver-worker and the potter produced results closely approaching each other in form, the worker in metal was not availing himself of the best qualities of his art. He may have been following the trammels of fashion, or he may have been a mediocre worker on a lower plane.
That the potter did actually emulate the silversmith can be seen at once in the Staffordshire silver-lustre teapots, which followed as far as possible the silver shapes. They were in use in cottages, and set on the dresser looked very imposing. If the squire’s lady had her silver, or the farmer’s wife her Sheffield plated set, the cottager had her lustre ware.
In the museum at Etruria are some models carved in pear-wood of urns and bowls which Josiah Wedgwood had executed for reproduction in his ware. These remarkable carved wood vessels exhibit a strong similitude to the designs of contemporary silver plate. They illustrate the point that the potter at his highest actually did look with delight on the creations of the silversmith. It was natural that he should do so, and it was equally natural that the contemplation of them should influence his own art. There is a silver teapot designed by John Flaxman (Wedgwood’s great designer). It is melon-shaped, silver gilt, chased with scrolls, medallions, and cupids riding on dolphins. It is inscribed: “Designed by John Flaxman for his esteemed friend and generous patron Josiah Wedgwood, 1784.” The maker’s mark is I.B. under a crown, and the date letter is for 1789.