Extraordinary Large French Coffee Pot in Solid Silver. XIX Century

Extraordinary French Coffee Pot of Great Size in Solid Silver. XIX Century. This magnificent large coffee pot is supported by four decorative zoomorphic legs representing a stylized tiger fantastic. Its marked louvered body is decorated all over its surface. In the center of the body we find an original shield in the form of a circular belt, topped with a bouquet of flowers above, in the center of which appear two intertwined letters "D and B". Both the handle and the spout are profusely decorated with a beautiful embossing based on geometric shapes and sinuous scrolls. The handle is provided with two ivory washers so that the heat from the inside of the pot does not pass through to the handle and can be grasped without problems. The coffee pot is crowned by a pinnacle in the form of a bird with raised wings, which gives the piece a greater elegance and exquisiteness. The piece appears contrasted in all its parts, something very important to take into account, since it indicates that all the pieces were made at the same time and are totally original. We find the Minerva mark, perfectly clear, indicating the date and location, and the silversmith's mark. This fantastic coffee pot is in a perfect state of preservation, practically like new despite being a genuinely antique piece. Chocolate and coffee were drunk in Europe before the arrival of tea, but all three were expensive drinks that only the wealthier classes of the time could afford. In a short period of time the demand for these profusely decorated silver utensils would increase, accompanied by a series of elements such as teaspoons, sugar bowls, etc... that undoubtedly showed the high economic power of those who could afford them. The coffee pots differed from the teapots in that they were taller, cylindrical in shape in the early years, but the most varied styles developed as time went on. The aperada shape as the example would be the most acclaimed by the public due to its attractiveness, from which the variations that were introduced in them, had more to do with the different decoration than with the format itself. A beautiful and very decorative piece only available to a few in its time and to true collectors nowadays. Measures: 24 x 24 cm. Weight of the silver: 638 gr.