Tea set (teapot, sugar bowl, slop bowl, and creamer)

1783-1784

and possibly other dates in the 1780s

Maker

Possibly Robert Peaston

Measurements

Teapot, 1979.222.1: 6-1/2 in x 12-1/2 in x 4-1/2 in; sugar bowl, 1979.222.2: 6-1/2 in x 6 in x 4-1/2 in; slop bowl, 1979.222.3: 5-1/2 in x 6 in (dia); creamer, 1979.222.4: 7 in x 4-1/2 in x 2-1/2 in

Materials

Silver, fruitwood (teapot handle)

Credit Line

Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of Mrs. Bernard Peyton

Accession Number

1979.222

Inscription

All four pieces of silver have an "R" engraved with a pseudo-heraldic emblem in a prominent location.  They also have the following history of ownership engraved into their undersides, "1761. Charles G. Ridgely. / 1785. Henry Moore Ridgely. / 1847. Anne Ridgely du Pont. / 1898. Amerlia Elizabeth du Pont. / 1924. Anne du Pont Peyton. / Bernard Peyton Dec. 18, 1975."

The slop bowl, 1979.222.3, also has "The Christening Bowl" engraved into the underside of the foot.

Teapot, 1979.222.1, has no hallmarks.  The sugar bowl, 1979.222.2, has London hallmarks including the date letter "h" for 1783-84 on the outside of the bottom.  The slop bowl, 1979.222.3, and the creamer, 1979.222.4, have no hallmarks.

Condition Notes

The sugar bowl, 1979.222.2, has possible solder repairs along the edge of the bottom, probably to repair open or weak seams.

Provenance

See "Inscriptions" for a list of owners and "Comments" for more information.  The tea set provenance from the mid-19th century to the present parallels that of other silver in the Historic Odessa collection, accession numbers 1979.223, 1979.224, and 1980.108.

Comments

The four vessels of this tea set are all of a similar time frame, but they appear to originate in multiple shops.  Although unified by a large, identical, and prominently located engraved “R” for Ridgely, they differ in shape and engraving details.  Only the teapot and slop bowl match one another, and each is unmarked by the maker.  The sugar bowl bears London hallmarks, possibly those of Robert Peaston, but the maker’s touch needs confirmation.  The sugar bowl engraving is similar to that of the three other objects, but simpler.  The unmarked creamer or cream pitcher differs from the tea pot and slop bowl only in small details, such as use of beading along the rim and engraved bands.  It was probably made in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The tea set was assembled sometime in the early or mid-19th century.  All four pieces appear to have been engraved with the same histories of ownership in c. 1898.  The 1924 listing of Anne du Pont Peyton looks to be a slightly different hand; that for Bernard Peyton is very different.  The "Christening Bowl" designation on the slop bowl is an incorrect term that was likely applied because it sounded more genteel.