Description:
Chinese export porcelain cream pot (one of a now 61-piece teaset with 4 large plates, 17 medium plates, 2 berry dishes, 17 saucers, 17 teacups, 2 cream pots, 2 sugar bowls) in plain white with the gilt initial "F" in gothic script in a plain gold circle in the side and a plain gold band around the rim and along the top of the strap handle. According to the seller, the "F" stands for Captain John Felt of Salem, Massachusetts; however no information was provided for this attribution. The son of Jonathan Felt (b.1698/99) and Hannah Silsby Felt of Salem, Captain John Felt (c.1723-1785) was a Revolutionary war hero, and owned ships and traded merchandise from the West Indies. His son, Lieutenant John Felt (1754-1796) who was one of 10 children, left "sundry glasses & China ware" in his estate, which included: "46 dishes and plates $1.50. 5 pitchers 50c, 4 decanters $2, 1 ordinary castor $1. 1 coffee pot 50c. 1 dozen tumblers $1,50. 5 salts 75c. 1 doz. cups and saucers 50c. 2 lot crockery and potters' ware $1.70." Lieut. John Felt also had a son named John (1782-1811) who was lost at sea. Other members of the Felt families of Salem also named their sons John, including John Gillingham Felt (1807-1876) of Salem, who was the son of Lieut. John's Felt's brother, Nathaniel Felt (1771-1823). Simple gilt designs with names or initials were popular into the 1820s; with no other decorative motif to assist in dating, it is difficult to determine a narrow date range with certainty. In addition, the styles of the pieces range from around 1800 for the sugar bowl, and anywhere from 1810-1850 for the London shape cups.
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+62.252.24 |
