Ebenezer Smith may have served his apprenticeship under Israel Trask; certainly, his handsome coffeepots are closely related in design and construction to examples from Trask’s shop. This so-called lighthouse shape is recognized as among the noblest American interpretations of the form, its profile apparently derived from earlier silver examples or perhaps contemporary ceramics. Another obvious relationship to silver is the bright-cut engraved border and fanciful cartouche.

Technical notes: The vented lid is attached by a three-part hinge, and the finial is soldered. This coffeepot is equipped with a strainer. The handle is made of wood.

Related examples: Watts 1968, p. 47, no. 122; Brandt 1976, pp. 59–60; Sander 1986, p. 605.

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.