Description
This magnificent William IV sterling silver coffee pot was crafted in London in 1836 by the legendary master silversmith Paul Storr for his prestigious retail partnership, Storr & Mortimer. Exemplifying the late, opulent phase of Storr’s career, this piece showcases the quintessential late-Regency and William IV transition into the Rococo Revival style, characterized by exceptional weight, grand architectural scale, and highly naturalistic ornamentation. Designed in a heavy-gauge, inverted pyriform (pear-shaped) baluster form, the main body is divided into deeply chased, vertical melon-fluted lobes that catch the light magnificently. The entire structure is raised on four robustly cast, asymmetrical bracket feet, each heavily decorated with scrolling acanthus leaves that travel upwards to seamlessly anchor the base to the body’s lower lobes. A perfectly balanced, S-curved swan-neck pouring spout emerges from the lower fluted panels, heavily accented with cast leaf-capping and fine scrolling flourishes at the lip, engineered precisely to deliver a controlled, drip-free pour. The pot is fitted with a substantial, high-looped silver C-scroll handle with an upper terminal capped in a stylized acanthus leaf motif serving as an ergonomic thumb rest; it remains integrated with its original heat-insulating spacers to ensure safety during hot beverage service. The heavily domed, stepped hinged lid perfectly repeats the melon-fluted segmentation of the lower body and is surmounted by an iconic, finely cast silver finial modeled in the form of a blossoming flower or acorn emerging from highly detailed foliage. The upper body displays a clear, crisply struck row of official British hallmarks, with corresponding partial marks inside the lid flange, including the ‘PS’ maker’s mark for Paul Storr, the Lion Passant guaranteeing sterling silver purity, the Leopard’s Head for the London Assay Office, the date letter ‘A’ for the year 1836, and the Sovereign Duty Mark profiling King William IV, with the underside typically bearing the incuse retail stamp for Storr & Mortimer. The piece survives in remarkable antique condition, maintaining excellent structural integrity, tight hinge alignment, and a brilliant polish with only minor superficial surface wear consistent with careful historic use over nearly two centuries, making it an extraordinary specimen for discerning collectors of fine English silver.
Weight:Â 21.5 troy ounces/670 grams
Height:Â 8 inches/20cm
Width:Â 8 inches/20cm
Diameter:Â 5.1 inches/13cm (bowl)
Condition:Â Excellent throughout
Price: £5250
