Asa Whitney
Teapot and Stand

MakerAmerican, active c. 1798–1812
CultureAmerican
Titles
  • Teapot and Stand
Datec. 1798–1812
Made inNew York , New York, United States
MediumSilver
DimensionsTeapot: 8 3/8 x 12 3/8 x 5 3/8 in. (21.3 x 31.4 x 13.7 cm)
Stand: 1 3/8 × 5 1/4 × 6 7/16 in. (3.5 × 13.3 × 16.4 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of Miss Ima Hogg
Object numberB.69.167.1,.2
Current Location
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Metals Study Room
On view

Explore Further

Department
Bayou Bend
Object Type
Description

Asa Whitney’s teapot combines Neoclassical simplicity with the generous proportions that characterize the Grecian taste. Accompanying the teapot is a matching stand, an optional addition to protect linens and tabletops from spills and burns.  Stands were introduced during the Late Baroque period, and with the advent of the flat -bottomed Neoclassical teapot, a paired stand became a welcome adjunct. Both functional and aesthetic, the stand raises the teapot and alleviates a ponderous appearance.

Technical notes: The body is hammered and seamed behind the handle; its shoulder is a separate component that is soldered on.

Related examples: A matching sugar dish and slop bowl were auctioned with the teapot.  The sugar dish’s location is unknown; the bowl belongs to the Newark Museum. Newark, New Jersey (acc. no. 23.203).

Book excerpt: David B. Warren, Michael K. Brown, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, and Emily Ballew Neff.  American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection. Houston: Princeton Univ. Press, 1998.


Provenance[The John Wells Company, New York]; [American Art Association, New York]; purchased by Miss Ima Hogg, 1923; given to MFAH, 1969.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Engraved on side: ELH
On base: mark of Asa Whitney [Belden 1980, p. 443, a]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

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