Teapot
The son of a silversmith by the same name, Engelbart Joosten was born in The Hague where he became a master of the silversmiths’ guild in 1764. He also served as assayer and dean of the guild between 1767 and 1797. Known as one of the best silversmiths in The Hague, he was appreciated for his elegant vessels influenced by naturalism and the curvilinear lines of the Rococo. The chased body of the teapot has the shape of a melon consisting of six plain lobes. The pot is fitted with a hinged lid cast in the form of a leaf with a naturalistically shaped stalk serving as knob. The gnarled spout is also decorated with foliate motifs, while the feet are cast in the form of a knobbly and twisted branch with leaves. The gracefully-curving handle is made of ebony.
By 1765, tea drinking had become an important social ritual especially for women in the Dutch Republic who could flaunt their status by serving the most expensive types of tea and serving the beverage in costly silver tea sets.
By 1765, tea drinking had become an important social ritual especially for women in the Dutch Republic who could flaunt their status by serving the most expensive types of tea and serving the beverage in costly silver tea sets.
Artwork Details
- Title: Teapot
- Maker: Englebart Joosten Jr. (Dutch, 1738–ca. 1805)
- Date: 1765
- Culture: Dutch, The Hague
- Medium: Silver, wood
- Dimensions: Overall (with handle): 5 1/8 × 7 in. (13 × 17.8 cm)
- Classification: Metalwork-Silver
- Credit Line: Bequest of Alfred Duane Pell, 1924
- Object Number: 25.15.24
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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