. Bulletin - United States National Museum. Science. Figure 11.—Silver tea set consisting of teapot, sugar bowl, container for cream or milk, and waste bowl, made by John McMuUin, of Philadelphia, about 1800. Matching coffee and hot water pot made by Samuel Williamson, also of Philadelphia. The letter "G," in fashionable script, is engraved on each piece. {USNM 3780^; Smithsonian photo 45541.) upon low feet; others had pierced or fretwork galleries or edges to prevent the utensils from slipping off. Wood or metal was the usual material, although ce- ramic trays were also used. At lar
. Bulletin - United States National Museum. Science. Figure 11.—Silver tea set consisting of teapot, sugar bowl, container for cream or milk, and waste bowl, made by John McMuUin, of Philadelphia, about 1800. Matching coffee and hot water pot made by Samuel Williamson, also of Philadelphia. The letter "G," in fashionable script, is engraved on each piece. {USNM 3780^; Smithsonian photo 45541.) upon low feet; others had pierced or fretwork galleries or edges to prevent the utensils from slipping off. Wood or metal was the usual material, although ce- ramic trays were also used. At large gatherings a tray was often employed for passing refreshments (fig. 4). "A servant brings in on a silver tray the cups, the sugar bowl, the cream jugs, pats of butter, and smoked meat, which are offered to each individual," explained Ferdinand Bayard.^'^ The principal use of the tray was, of course, to bring the tea equipage to the table. Whether placed on a bare or covered table, it arrived with the various pieces such as cups and saucers, spoons, containers for sugar and cream or inilk, tongs, bowls, and dishes arranged about the teapot. Such tea furnishings of ceramic were sold in sets; that is, all pieces being of the same pattern. News- paper advertisements in the 1730's specifically men- tion "Tea Setts," and later in the century ceramic imports continue to include "beautiful compleat Tea- Setts" (fig. 10). In the early 18th century, tea sets of *<• Bayard, op. cit. (footnote 36), quoted in Sheirili (footnote 8), p. 93. op. cit. silver were uncommon if not actually unique, though pieces were occasionally made to match existing items, and, in this way, a so-called set similar to the pieces seen in Tea Party in the Time of George I (fig. 5) could be formed. However, by the latter part of the century the wealthier hostesses were able to purchase from among a "most elegant assortment of Silver Plate . . compleat Tea and Coffee serv
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Keywords: ., bookauthorun, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectscience
