Georgian Silver Tea Kettle

Object Description

A magnificent antique sterling silver samovar with hand chased decoration and folding handle with raffia finish. The matching stand has an ornate cast and pierced frieze with face masks, and stands on large shell feet; the detachable burner has a rise and fall wick. An excellent piece with heavy gauge silver and good colour. Hand engraved to the front is a large hand engraved armorial with the motto “Pro Rege Lege Grege”. To the reverse is the crest of a serpent over a crown, repeated on the kettle stand. Weight 2120 grams, 68.1 troy ounces. Total height 36cm (to top of handle). London 1815. Maker Robert Garrard.

Signed – The crest “Pro rege, lege, et grege” translates as “For the king, the law, and the people”. This is an 18th-century motto of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and then of Poland. The crest of three arrows entwined with a snake over a ducal coronet is the Ponsonby-Fane Family Crest.

Object Literature

Tea Kettles date from Queen Anne times these were made until the 1770’s when the tea urn took over the job of providing hot water. Although kettles were still made between 1770 and 1840 they were less common until Victorian times when they were reintroduced, probably because of the discovery of odourless spirit for the burners.

Object Condition

This impressive antique silver kettle is in very good condition with no damage or silver restoration.
With a full set of matching English silver hallmarks under the kettle, lid with lion and date letter “U”, stand with duty mark, lion and date letter “U”; the oil reservoir is a replacement, unmarked and made of silver plate.
The kettle engravings are still crisp, some wear to the crest engraving on the stand. The raffia to the handle has some wear.
Please note that this item is not new and will show moderate signs of wear commensurate with age. Reflections in the photograph may detract from the true representation of this item.

Object Details