George IV 3-piece silver tea set

Classic George IV period compressed melon pattern three-piece tea set of superior quality and made by the master silversmith Benjamin Smith III. Silver tea sets were something he excelled at, and in this case each individual piece is of a heavier gauge than usual while the form and accurate chasing of the melon pattern panels are exemplary. Each piece has an applied scrolled leaf pattern border.

Dimensions given are for the teapot.

Benjamin Smith III learned his craft from, and worked with, some of Britain's most illustrious silversmiths in the first half of the 19th century; Matthew Boulton; Rundell & Bridge, the most well-known luxury retailer of the time; and Paul Storr, England's most celebrated silversmith of the period. In fact, it is often difficult to distinguish Smith and Storr's individual neoclassical pieces. One of Smith's most important commissions, the 1803 Jamaica Service, is still part of the Royal Collection.