An exceptional, and very rare, George III Naturalistic Teapot made in London in 1820 by William Bennett.
An exceptional, and very rare, George III Naturalistic Teapot made in London in 1820 by William Bennett.
375214
The Teapot is influenced by the George II Bullet designs of the first half of the eighteenth century. This piece, however, unusually stands on a cast foot decorated with foliate scrolls. The main body is modelled in the plan bullet form and is beautifully decorated with applied Rococo floral and foliate sprays. The straight spout has a plain tapering form and the handle is modelled as a branch from a tree, with matted textured tubular sockets which are attached to the main body. The cover is most unusually cut out from the top of the pot in a shaped design, the first time we have ever seen this. The cover terminates in a beautiful, and detailed, cast floral sprig, possibly from a tea plant, as seen on tea caddy finials of the 1770's. The front of the main body is engraved with a contemporary Scottish Crest, with a Motto engraved on a banner above, and contemporary script initials below. A second Crest is also engraved to the left of the main Crest, depicting a Saracen's head, with "Algiers" engraved below. The quality of design and production is quite exceptional and we have no doubt that this may well be a unique piece. The Teapot is in excellent condition and is fully marked on the side of the main body and the cover.
The Crest is that of the Forbes family of Craigieva and Belgownie, both county Aberdeen. The Saracen's head refers to the naval battle of that name of 1816 and it is probable that a member of this family was involved in the conflict. William Bennett was an exceptional maker of Trays and Salvers, the quality of which rivals Paul Storr at its best. His mark is occasionally seen on other items, again of very fine quality and gauge.
Height: 5.5 inches, 13.75 cm.
Length, handle to spout: 10.1 inches, 25.25 cm.
Weight: 22oz.
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![](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://marycooke.co.uk/british-silver-1760-1830/an-exceptional-and-very-rare-george-iii-naturalistic-teapot-made-in-london-in-1820-by-william-bennett&media=https://seek-unique-co.s3.amazonaws.com/marycooke-8876-Qfhef-OE67/stock/670a9acef0479_image_url_fg302.jpg&description=The Teapot is influenced by the George II Bullet designs of the first half of the eighteenth century. This piece, however, unusually stands on a cast foot decorated with foliate scrolls. The main body is modelled in the plan bullet form and is beautifully decorated with applied Rococo floral and foliate sprays. The straight spout has a plain tapering form and the handle is modelled as a branch from a tree, with matted textured tubular sockets which are attached to the main body. The cover is most unusually cut out from the top of the pot in a shaped design, the first time we have ever seen this. The cover terminates in a beautiful, and detailed, cast floral sprig, possibly from a tea plant, as seen on tea caddy finials of the 1770's. The front of the main body is engraved with a contemporary Scottish Crest, with a Motto engraved on a banner above, and contemporary script initials below. A second Crest is also engraved to the left of the main Crest, depicting a Saracen's head, with "Algiers" engraved below. The quality of design and production is quite exceptional and we have no doubt that this may well be a unique piece. The Teapot is in excellent condition and is fully marked on the side of the main body and the cover. The Crest is that of the Forbes family of Craigieva and Belgownie, both county Aberdeen. The Saracen's head refers to the naval battle of that name of 1816 and it is probable that a member of this family was involved in the conflict. William Bennett was an exceptional maker of Trays and Salvers, the quality of which rivals Paul Storr at its best. His mark is occasionally seen on other items, again of very fine quality and gauge.Height: 5.5 inches, 13.75 cm.Length, handle to spout: 10.1 inches, 25.25 cm.Weight: 22oz.){kind=link}