Artifact: Tea Kettle
Materials: Silver, wood
Dimensions: Kettle: 15 1/2 x 10 x 7 1/2 in.
Date: 1724-1725
Origin: London
Collection: MetMuseum
License: OASC
Ledger Entry: Tea Kettle
Department: Foodways
Customer: James Connell
Ledger Page: 203
Imported From:
Product Description
With the popularity of tea, the kettle was a crucial piece of home equipment. Kettles could range from the simplest of objects to extremely ornate, decorative display pieces. Some silver tea kettles, used during a formal service, were designed to keep the water hot, either from a small lamp underneath or by a warmed interior.
Citation: Pippa Shirley, "Tea, Coffee and Chocolate," in Elegant Eating: Four Hundred Years of Dining in Style, ed. Philippa Glanville and Hilary Young (London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2002), 108-111;
Historical Price: 12 shillings; Modern USD: $135
Product Variations
The databases record ten purchases of tea kettles. These range in price from twelve shillings for a small kettle to thirty shillings for a copper kettle. At least five of the kettles were labeled as being made out of copper.
