From Paul Revere to Tiffany, American silversmiths have created classic patterns that brighten the holidays and more. Today Andrea Valluzzo gives us some background on silver and how the drinking habits of our forefathers, and their wives, launched an industry.

Coffee, tea and (hot) chocolate were not always the beverage of choice in America. Many of the early colonists instead preferred a tankard of ale or hard cider to start their day. As they embraced tea and coffee, an industry for silver vessels was born.

Silversmiths in 17th Century America first copied English and Continental styles but soon found their creative genius and their finest works could go head-to-head with any made by their English rivals.

Besides silver flatware services, hollowware, such as candlesticks, centerpieces, vases, trays and pitchers, was also well made and today is represented in many museum and personal collections of Americana.

Paul Revere silver set

Colonial period coffeepots were usually tall and tapered with a curved spout. A wooden handle would be attached to protect the hand from the hot metal while pouring.

Chocolate was a most precious commodity, and a breakfast luxury indulged in only by the affluent. Chocolate pots stand apart from coffeepots by having the addition of a hinged or removable finial on their covers. This allowed the stirring rod to be worked through the thick chocolate before it was poured.

Tea, an English staple, was just as popular here and American silversmiths began producing teapots and tea sets in volume. The teapot’s apple-shape form soon became the norm for pots of this period. Later styles would take their cue from the Neoclassical or Art Deco aesthetic.

Paul Revere made history books for his Revolutionary War “midnight ride” but his main occupation was as a silversmith, having apprenticed to his father. While he engaged in other businesses in his life, he is most famous for his silver works, which are elegant and extremely well made. Other renowned silver makers in America included the firms of Gorham, based in Providence, RI and Tiffany.

Silvere Cann, c. 1780, "REVERE" mark

Since silver was a status symbol of the upper classes, it took on quirky uses. For instance, fresh salad was also a luxury, unless one had her own garden, so it was frequently served in specially-designed silver salad wares. Today’s featured image, above, is a Tiffany  & Co. sterling and parcel gilt silver Aesthetic Movement salad bowl, circa 1883.  It is a rare and wonderful example of pieces done in the Japanese style,.

Embellished with vibrant gilt, vine and floral decoration reminiscent of a Japanese gourd, the bowl stands 11½ inches tall and weighs over 56 troy ounces. In the late 1800s, Tiffany employed English designer Christopher Dresser to supply it with Japanese items for inspiration. From those works, came animal and floral motifs on Tiffany wares. At the height of the Meiji period, the doors to the East opened wide, and Americans were only too eager to purchase items in the Japanese taste.

From a sturdy but delicate-looking coffeepot to an ornate ladle with foliate decoration, antique American silver wares stand the test of time and shine as brightly as they did when used by their original owners.