Teapot c. 1730 - 1740

This teapot was made by John Burt, a silversmith working in colonial Boston in the first half of the 18th century. It’s primarily made of silver, with a wood handle. The body of the pot would have been raised from a flat sheet of silver, gradually hammered into its curved form. Note the engraved decoration, typical of the period. This would have been a painstaking, specialized skill. Silver was a precious material, so this teapot speaks to the wealth of its original owner, who would have used it to serve tea, a luxury good at this time. We can also consider Burt’s labor. As a craftsperson, he held a distinct social position, different from both enslaved people and the gentry who bought his wares. This teapot, therefore, is not just an aesthetic object. It’s a material record of social relations in early America, reflecting class, consumption, and skilled work.