Silver Coffee Pot, Nuremberg, C. 1800

Hallmarked on the reverse with the hallmark of an unidentified goldsmith, the hallmark of the city of Nuremberg in the shape of a capital “N,” as well as an assayer’s mark consisting of the letter “S” inscribed within a cartouche, allowing the object to be dated to around 1815–1820.

DESCRIPTION:

The coffee pot rests on a circular base with a low, plain plinth, decorated with a knurled acanthus frieze. The body, smooth and slightly truncated conical, is decorated on both sides with octagonal reliefs depicting the goddess Demeter. Her attributes—ripe ears of wheat, a basket of fruit, a crown, and a cornucopia—symbolize fertility, prosperity, and domestic well-being.

The upper part of the body is encircled by a knurled palmette frieze and forms a sharply defined shoulder at a right angle. Above this, the surface is flat and plain, with a molded circular opening in the center for filling the vessel. The flat, removable lid is adorned near the rim with two subtle stepped moldings. Its handle is formed of a seated lion, modeled entirely in the round.

The spout rises only slightly above the body and ends in a short opening, partially covered by a plain silver plate. Beneath the spout is a basilisk figure, fully modeled and arranged in a fanciful twist. The S-shaped handle, made of bone and with a circular cross-section, is attached to the body by silver mounts. The lower mount, plain, is conical in shape, while the upper mount takes the form of a swan’s head.

Originally, the coffee pot was likely accompanied by a matching teapot and milk jug, featuring identical decoration. Given the ornamental iconography and the precious materials used, the set may have been a special commission, perhaps for a wedding or to commemorate a family anniversary.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

M. Rosenberg, Der Goldschmiede Merkzeichen, vol. 3: Deutschland N–Z, Frankfurt am Main, 1925.