English merchants carried luxury goods of all kinds to the American colonies, where they set a fashionable standard that was emulated by local artisans. These three pieces - teakettle, basket and bowl - formed part of a larger service that was owned by a prosperous merchant in Philadelphia. David Franks, the son of a prominent Jewish family in New York, married Margaret Evans in 1744, and this service was likely purchased to mark their marriage. The silversmith, Paul de Lamerie, was the head of a flourishing workshop, and these rococo pieces were in the vanguard of London taste.
