ANTIQUE AMERICAN HANDMADE COPPER TEA KETTLE ~ DOVE TAILED ~ 18th c.

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ANTIQUE AMERICAN HANDMADE COPPER TEA KETTLE ~ DOVE TAILED ~ 18th c.:
$249.99

This is a lovely antique American copper tea kettle. It is approximately 12” in height measured to the top of the upright handle. It is approximately 10 ½” across measured from the tip of the goose necked spout to the back of the kettle. It weighs 2 ½ lbs. The tea kettle has no maker’s mark. It is difficult to date the item exactly as similar handmade tea kettles were produced the same way over a couple of generations. Our feeling is that it was created in the fourth quarter of the 18th century but could be as late as the early 19th century.

The tea kettle has the dovetailed bottom and body seam one would expect. There is also an antique dovetailed patch to the vertical seam on the rear of the kettle. Below that is an old solder repair to the bottom edge (see photos). Since tea kettles were not inexpensive, kettles such as this one, probably used daily, were repaired rather than discarded once they became worn. Repairs would be made by a copper smith or a traveling tinker. This old tea kettle is in overall good condition for a functional item that was formed from a soft metal; in continual use and a couple of centuries old. It has all the ubiquitous dings and tiny dents that come with these old kettles. One side of the tea kettle has many more than the other. Why this is we don’t know. We have seen this before in other kettles. The tea kettle has a fully tinned interior and is water tight.

The tea kettle has a few interesting differences from other kettles. For example, the goose necked spout is shorter and rises more vertically than many. It is also attached to the body with 5 small copper rivets. The handle mountings which are attached to the shoulder of the kettle are almost wing shaped as opposed to being rectangular. Also, the brass lid finial rises from a sort of circular sub dome rather than from the dome of the lid itself.

This is an interesting and attractive old tea kettle that has been exhibited in our home for over thirty years and worthy of preservation. If you have any questions or would like additional photos regarding the kettle please do not hesitate to contact us.

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