Teapot

Tea, imported from Chinese estates, was an expensive luxury until the end of the eighteenth century, requiring equipment for its brewing, serving, and consumption. Silversmiths fashioned a variety of vessels for the beverage. The swelling inverted-pear form, engraved decoration, and glistening silver of this teapot would have emphasized the cost of the materials and the wealth of the owner rather than the labor used to produce and serve the drink.