A Louis XVI French silver coffee pot (Verseuse), Paris 1789, maker’s mark partially struck but certainly Mathieu de Machy (reg. 28th Nov 1770, still alive 1793)

Of baluster form raised on three splay legs with pad feet and cartouche junctions. The spout with fluted decoration, at a right angle to a detachable screw threaded turned fruit wood handle (terminal part-deficent). The hinged lid with cavetto edge and basket weave rim, surmounted by a flattened knop finial, all raised by a scroll thumbpiece. The front of body with engraved initials PDL in flourished cursive script. Marked underneath with charge mark of Jean-François Kalandrin. 959 standard.

Height – 26 cm / 10.25 inches

Weight – 811 grams / 26.07 ozt

A hot water urn of 1789 by Mathieu de Machy is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

A bachelor coffee pot of identical form also of 1789 by Mathieu de Machy was sold Sotheby’s Geneva, 16 Nov 2005, Lot 45 (CHF 2,160 inc. premium)