AN AMERICAN MARKET TEA AND COFFEE SERVICE

Details

AN AMERICAN MARKET TEA AND COFFEE SERVICE
CIRCA 1805

Each piece centered by a displayed American eagle in gilt and sepia, his head against a star-studded sunburst, the rims enamelled with wide bands of grapevine bearing puce fruit and gilt-veined sepia leaves and edged in gilt bands, comprising:
A coffeepot and cover, very slight wear
A teapot and cover, tiny chip spout tip
A helmet-shaped cream jug, short crack and associated shallow chip
A two-handled sugar bowl and cover, tiny chip cover rim
A waste bowl, chip, rim lines, 5 3/8in. (13.6cm.) diam.
A saucer dish and two small side plates, two lines, 7¾ and 6 1/8in. (19.7 and 15.5cm.) diam.
Five coffee cups and four saucers, one handle broken off, two chips, lines
Six teabowls and eight saucers, scattered chips and lines
Eight biscuit plates, tiny chips, 7¾in. (19.7cm.) diam. (39)

Lot Essay

Made for Edward Carrington, the famous Providence, Rhode Island China trade merchant and U.S. Consul to Canton 1802-11, and passed by descent through his family and its retainers. Many of the the Chinese export silks, wallpapers, furniture and paintings Carrington sent back on his ships can still be seen in his house at 66 Williams Street, now the site of the Rhode Island Historical Society. See C.L. Crossman, The China Trade, pp. 65,107,207,215,260,319,385 and 399.