The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of February 23, 2026

Teapot

c. 1755–60
maker

Nathaniel Hurd

(American, 1730–1778)
America
Silver, Wood
with handle: 14.5 x 24.4 cm (5 11/16 x 9 5/8 in.)
Gift of Hollis French 1940.228
Location: 204 Colonial American

Did You Know?

The master silversmith Nathaniel Hurd, whose portrait hangs nearby, made this teapot engraved with the crest of the family that commissioned it. Tea was a precious commodity in Colonial America and this silver piece would have held a place of honor at the owner's tea table.

Description

This teapot not only demonstrates Hurd's mastery of the art of forging silver, but of engraving it as well. The design for the coat of arms of the Gibbs family incised on this teapot was probably taken from Guillim's Display of Heraldry, published in 1724. In Hurd's portrait by Copley the words "Display of Heraldry/J. Guillim" are visible on the spine of the large book shown at the sitter's elbow.
  • Hollis French, Annisquam, MA.
  • Foote, Helen. "A Collection of Early American Silver Gift of Hollis French." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 27, no. 9 (November 1940): 131-142. Mentioned: p. 135; Reproduced: p. 140 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 332 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 153 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 153 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 196 archive.org
    Johnston, Phillip M. Catalogue of American Silver: The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1994. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 89
    Adams, Henry. What's American about American art?: a gallery tour in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2008. Reproduced: p. 41
    Cleveland Museum of Art. The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2014. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 136
  • All That Glitters: Great Silver Vessels in Cleveland's Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 23, 1994-January 8, 1995).
    Masterpieces of American Silver. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA (organizer) (January 15-February 14, 1960).
    Exhibition of French, English, and American Silver in Honor of Russell A. Plimpton. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN (organizer) (June 10-July 15, 1956).
    Silver and American Tradition. Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI (organizer) (February 13-March 19, 1953).
    35th Anniversary Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 20-September 30, 1951).
    Inaugural Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (co-organizer) (June 6-September 20, 1916).
  • {{cite web|title=Teapot|url=false|author=Nathaniel Hurd|year=c. 1755–60|access-date=23 February 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1940.228