Miniature kettle and stand 1735 - 1745

This miniature kettle and stand was made in London by John Le Sage sometime before 1743, and it speaks volumes about the rituals of elite sociability in Georgian England. During this period, tea drinking became a central aspect of social life. It was a display of refinement closely associated with the rituals of polite society, but also England's expanding empire. This miniaturized kettle underscores the artifice of such displays. It speaks to the aesthetic and cultural values of a society where conspicuous consumption became an important means of expressing status. To better understand the cultural importance of tea, historians often turn to sources like etiquette manuals and household inventories. By combining such research with close attention to objects like this one, we can learn much about the social history of art.