This excellent small tea pot from the Victorian era is a true piece of history. Made from Britannia tinware, it features a unique pattern from the 1800s and is adorned with the Sheffield brand. The antique tea pot is perfect for display or for use at your next tea party. Its size makes it ideal for serving a duo, and its intricate details are sure to impress your guests. Whether you're a collector or simply appreciate the beauty of antique items, this tea pot is a must-have addition to your collection. For reanactment or theatre use also.

14 cm weight : 260 g

Opening 4 cm Bottom diameter 7 cm

The Golden Age of Pewter

The 16th & 17th Centuries were the Golden Age of pewter, with pewter being the chief component of tableware and liturgical objects universally used across Europe, such as plates and candlesticks. The art of casting had become so sophisticated that truly beautiful pieces could be achieved, especially hollowware (tableware such as creamers, tea pots and tureens) coinciding with the craze, at that time, for new-fangled beverages, such as coffee & tea, as well as carafes and tankards, alongside the age-old staples of wine and ale. Pewterware became prized not just for its utilitarian purposes, but for its decorative beauty and as works of art.

Pewter was first used around the beginning of the Bronze Age in the Near East. The earliest known piece of pewter was found in an Egyptian tomb, c. 1450 BC,[5] but it is unlikely that this was the first use of the material. Pewter was used for decorative metal items and tableware in ancient times by the Egyptians and later the Romans, and came into extensive use in Europe from the Middle Ages[6] until the various developments in pottery and glass-making during the 18th and 19th centuries. Pewter was the chief material for producing plates, cups, and bowls until the making of porcelain.[citation needed] Mass production of pottery, porcelain and glass products have almost universally replaced pewter in daily life, although pewter artifacts continue to be produced, mainly as decorative or specialty items. Pewter was also used around East Asia. Although some items still exist,[7] Ancient Roman pewter is rare.[8]

Lidless mugs and lidded tankards may be the most familiar pewter artifacts from the late 17th and 18th centuries, although the metal was also used for many other items including porringers (shallow bowls), plates, dishes, basins, spoons, measures, flagons, communion cups, teapots, sugar bowls, beer steins (tankards), and cream jugs. In the early 19th century, changes in fashion caused a decline in the use of pewter flatware. At the same time, production increased of both cast and spun pewter tea sets, whale-oil lamps, candlesticks, and so on. Later in the century, pewter alloys were often used as a base metal for silver-plated objects.

In the late 19th century, pewter came back into fashion with the revival of medieval objects for decoration. New replicas of medieval pewter objects were created, and collected for decoration. Today, pewter is used in decorative objects, mainly collectible statuettes and figurines, game figures, aircraft and other models, (replica) coins, pendants, plated jewellery and so on. Certain athletic contests, such as the United States Figure Skating Championships, award pewter medals to fourth-place finishers.

Britannia metal (also called britannium or Britannia ware[1]) is a specific type of pewter alloy, favoured for its silvery appearance and smooth surface. The composition by weight is typically about 92% tin, 6% antimony, and 2% copper.[2]

Britannia metal is usually spun rather than cast,[1] and melts at 255 degrees Celsius.[3]

History

Britannia metal was first produced[4] in 1769 or 1770. James Vickers created it after purchasing the formula from a dying friend. It was originally known as "Vickers White Metal" when made under contract by the Sheffield manufacturers Ebenezer Hancock and Richard Jessop. In 1776 James Vickers took over the manufacturing himself and remained as owner until his death in 1809, when the company passed to his son John and son-in-law Elijah West. In 1836 the company was sold to John Vickers's nephew Ebenezer Stacey (the son of Hannah Vickers and John Stacey).

After the development of electroplating with silver in 1846, Britannia metal was widely used as the base metal for silver-plated household goods and cutlery.[5] The abbreviation EPBM on such items denotes "electroplated Britannia metal". Britannia metal was generally used as a cheaper alternative to electroplated nickel silver (EPNS) which is more durable.

Until 2016, britannium was used to make the solid core of the Oscar statuettes. The 8½ lb (4 kg) statuettes were Britannia metal plated with gold.[6] The awards have since changed to a bronze core.

In his essay "A Nice Cup of Tea", writer George Orwell asserts that "britanniaware" teapots "produce inferior tea" when compared to chinaware.