An understated yet extremely rare teapot made by Paul Revere Jr was the top performing lot in Christie's January 24 auction of Important American Silver, held in New York.
 Revere is remembered in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride |
The teapot, one of only for drum-form examples known, sold for $230,500, with bids moving towards the top end of its $150,000-250,000 estimate. The remaining three drum-form Revere teapots are currently held in institutional collections, with this the last example remaining in private hands.
Paul Revere Jr (1734-1818) was a prominent Boston silversmith, although he is best-known for alerting the American troops of the arrival of the British forces during the American Revolution, as described in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride. This factor adds significantly to the value of his work, combining superb craftsmanship with historical interest.
Created circa 1782, the teapot features a fluted straight spout with a scroll wood handle, its slighty domed hinged cover topped by a cast bud finial. Its body is engraved with a "CC" monogram, with the base twice marked with Kane mark B.
 A single teapot of the same Tiffany & Co design sold at Christie's for $56,250 in January 2012 |
Tiffany items also performed well, with a silver, mixed metal and hardstone three-piece tea service, made circa 1880, realising $122,500. The model was one of Tiffany & Co's most successful Japanesque style creations, created by director Edward C Moore for the 1878 Exposition Universelle in Paris.
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