Very Large Coffee Pot, Brussels 1793, Théodorus Smeesters, Solid Silver

Very large and sumptuous Louis XVI coffee pot in sterling silver with the hallmarks of the city of Brussels for the year 1793. It is the work of the famous Brussels master goldsmith Theodorus Smeesters who is renowned for having produced the most beautiful, the most original and the largest coffee pots of the Louis XVI period. His famous "Persian" coffee pots furnish the showcases of several Belgian museums. Smeesters was first the son-in-law (1751) and then the apprentice (1752) of silversmith Cornelius t'Serstevens. He became a master goldsmith in 1758, then several times dean of the corporation of goldsmiths in 1766, 1776 and 1783. We do not know with certainty his date of death but we have listed works by his hand until the very end of the century. He left dozens of listed works, both civil and religious. Numerous treasures of Belgian churches and abbeys conceal pieces of goldsmith's work by his hand. The same goes for the inventories of around ten Belgian museums. A marriage contract of August 1751 proves that the t' Serstevens and the Smeesters were part of a rich Brussels bourgeoisie, since he guaranteed 10,000 florins there for each of the three children from the first marriage of his future wife. The coffee pot offered here is typical for its production: it is of an impressive size, richly decorated and well proportioned. It weighs a very generous 1200 grams.