German Silver Coffee-Pot

The present coffeepot is an object from Hannover. Characteristic for this object is the fact that it has a simple form, with no foot. The pear-shaped body is with straight, gadrooned lines decorated. The spout is cast and it is decorated on its lower part. The round, vaulted, hinged lid is curved and decorated with gadroons. The lid has a round, wooden knob, which has on top a cast, round, silver finial. The loop-handle shows an artfully execution, while it has a thumb rest.

Drinking tea was established in Europe around the last quarter of the 17th century. During this time, tea, exactly like coffee and cacao, was almost exclusively prescribed from doctors and was sold in pharmacies. However, these three new warm beverages had conquered the continent by the beginning of the 18th century, through the princely courts and the bourgeoisie. Many new silver objects were developed around these three hot beverages.

In the history of silver- and goldsmith in Hanover, goldsmiths can be documented as early as 1310. With the implementation of the freedom of arts and crafts that was in force in Prussia, the office of goldsmiths was dissolved in Hanover in 1868.
Since the second half of 17th century, the ceremonies of the court as well as the production of silver- and goldsmith objects were oriented to French models.

Maker: Johann Andreas Beckedorff, originated from Hannover, has paid in 1732 his citizenship’s income. On the same year, he also got married to Rosina Elisabeth Köster. He moved to the Neustadt (in Hannover, “new city”), where he also paid the citizenship’s income for his wife and himself in 1735/36 (Scheffler 1965: 731/Sn 40).

Literature:
Scheffler, W., 1965, Goldschmiede Niedersachsens: Daten – Werke – Zeichen, 2. Halbband, Hameln-Zellerfeld, Berlin: De Gruyter
Von Rohr, Al., 1993, Edles Tafelgerät: Silber aus dem Historischen Museum Hannover, Historisches Museum Hannover