Hester Bateman Teapot, 1785

This is a beautiful Georgian period silver teapot made by the eminent lady silversmith, Hester Bateman. The teapot takes the usual oval form of the period and is superbly decorated with bright-cut engraving, there is a vacant, sun-burst cartouche to both sides of the body. The cover has a well-made flush hinge and the pot is fitted with an ebony handle and finial. The overall condition is excellent, but to be picky there is a little play to the hinge and the pin is a little untidy, plus there is a mark on the handle where the finial has made contact over time.

The hallmarks to the underside are clear with a very good example of the "HB" maker's mark, plus the bonus of the short-lived incuse duty mark.