AFA Summer 2020

Summer 86 www.afamag.com | w ww.incollect.com In 1761–1762, the London partnership of Thomas Whipham II and Charles Wright created this elegant rococo silver urn, cleverly fashioned to keep water for tea at a near boil. A waterproof compartment within the urn held burning coal, while S-shaped vents in the neck provided air for the glowing embers. The wood base acted as an insulator, protecting the tabletop from heat damage and concealing both a slide to support a teapot and a small, tinned sheet iron drawer to catch hot ash from the smoldering fuel. Even the flame finial serves a secret purpose: it is actually the topknot of a pair of tongs for replenishing the coal as needed. Hot water urn, Thomas Whipham II and Charles Wright, London, England, 1761–1762 (dated). Silver, wood, ivory, tinned sheet iron, and copper alloy. Museum Purchase, Friends of Colonial Williamsburg Collections Fund (2019-72).