Coffeepot
Artist/Culture
Paul Revere
American, 1735–1818
Date1773
Mediumsilver
Dimensions34 × 14 × 24.5 cm (13 3/8 × 5 1/2 × 9 5/8 in.)
ClassificationsMetalwork
Credit LineGift of Frances Thomas and Bessie Sturgis Paine in memory of Frederick William Paine
Object number1937.58
Label TextIn 1773, Dr. William Paine (1750-1833) of Worcester commissioned a 45-piece silver tea service as a lavish wedding gift for his bride, Lois Orne (1756-1822). This constitutes the largest single order received by Paul Revere, the famed Boston silversmith, printmaker, and patriot activist. America's colonial elite visibly and quite literally displayed their wealth with silver objects. Valued by weight, this precious metal—in the form of coins, ingots, or decorative wares— functioned as money in an era before standardized currency. Silver also carried the hidden costs of forced Indigenous and African labor as well as environmental degradation in Latin American mines.Provenance1773, commissioned from the artist by Dr. William Paine [1750-1833], Worcester, MA, for his bride, Lois Orne; by descent in Paine family; 1937, gifted to the Worcester Art Museum.
On View
On viewCurrent Location
- Exhibition Location Gallery 3003
Set/Part of a Set