Benjamin Pyne

London 1707

Maker’s Mark of Benjamin Pyne

Tea pot stand also 1707 by Isaac Liger

Length: 7.9in (20cm)

Weight: 21.19oz (659) only the tea pot - excluding the stand

Exhibitions and Provenance

Formed Part of the Lipton Tea Company Collection of Hoboken, New Jersey.

It was exhibited :

1)Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, in 1953 (no. 1, p. 3):

2) Dayton Art Institute in October 1958 (no. 4)

3) Portland Museum of Art in February–March 1954.

4) Henry Huntington Library and Art Gallery in San Marino, California, in January–February

1956 (no. 1, p. 1). See below exhibition book.

This is a very rare early 18th century teapot was made by one of the great silversmiths working in London during the period. The teapot is extremely unusual and appears to be based on a Chinese design. As would be expected with Pyne’s work, it is made to the finest quality and has survived in wonderful condition. The Teapot is fully marked on the body and bears a makers mark on the lid. Also being 1707 it is made in Britannia standard silver.

The teapot comes complete with a stand/ burner also dated 1707 by Isaac Liger. The stand and the teapot are perfectly matched and it is almost certain that they started life together, as it wouldn’t have been uncommon for one silversmith to specialise in different items. The stand is also of very high quality and retains all its original pieces which are all hallmarked and is a very rare items in its own right.

The teapot and Stand formed part of one of, if not the, most important 20th century collections of silver tea related items, the Lipton Tea Company Collection. The famous Lipton Tea Company amassed a very special collection which remained intact until recently. The collection was exhibited multiple times at different museums in America in the 1950s of which this teapot and stand was part of.

Benjamin Pyne

Benjamin Pyne was born in the mid-seventeenth century, probably in Devon, the son of Humfrey Pyne. In October 1667 he was apprenticed to the London goldsmith George Bowers for eight years and was admitted as a freeman of the Goldsmiths’ Company in 1676.

Pyne rose quickly in reputation and by the late seventeenth century he was regarded as one of the “front rank” London goldsmiths, producing the finest quality plate, both domestic and ceremonial silver. He quickly gained very influential patrons such as the banker Sir Richard Hoare, and this connection would have helped him secure further prestigious commissions. He was appointed Subordinate Goldsmith to the King for the coronation of George I, an honour given to only the most

skilled and trusted silversmiths.

Pyne’s career unfolded during a competitive period for English goldsmiths. The arrival of Huguenot craftsmen in London introduced new styles and strong competition, yet Pyne was among those who helped maintain the reputation of native English workmanship. Today pieces that bear his maker’s mark are highly prized among private and museum collection across the globe.