A Victorian Scottish sterling silver six-piece tea, coffee and wine service, Glasgow 1873 by David Crichton Rait

Comprising a kettle on burner stand, a coffee pot, a teapot, a claret jug, a milk jug, and a twin handled sugar bowl. Each of rounded ovoid form upon a pedestal domed circular foot. The pots with curved spouts opposite a C scroll handle with scrolling and ridged thumbpiece, fitted with ivory insulators pinned to sockets, with fluted junctions. The hinged lid of waisted circular form with a beaded edge and centrally domed surmounted by detachable ovoid finial with dished fluted terrace. The kettle with a triple scroll over-handle above a side hinged lid, the pedestal foot with pierced trefoil section upon a burner stand, with two removable pins (one detached but present), all upon four S scroll legs with scallop shell feet edges with S scrolls, each adjoined by an open work shaped apron, the removable burner supported on a galleried ring. The claret jug with a C scroll handle fitted with ivory insulators leading to a hinged lid of conforming shape to the pouring lip. Each with embossed decoration throughout of ovoid beaded roundels edged with fluting and strapwork and trailing foliage, otherwise all reserved with trailing foliage of laurel and acanthus and bouquets of fruit. Similar decoration to the lids and spouts, each with a vacant cartouche to one side except the kettle. The kettle cartouche engraved with a presentation inscription reading “Presented along with a silver biscuit box to Mr and Mrs Moffat, Ard Rossan, on the occasion of their marriage by a few friends and well wishers connected with Ardrossan Harbour 18^th Nov^r 1874”. Traces of gilding to the milk and sugar interior. Each fully marked, part-marked to the lids and handles, the burner fully marked underneath and part-marked to the burner lid. The kettle engraved underneath "D. C. Rait & Sons, Glasgow". (6)

Kettle height – 47 cm / 18.5 inches

Claret jug height – 33 cm / 13 inches

Coffee pot height – 27.2 cm / 10.7 inches

Teapot length – 24 cm / 9.45 inches

Weight – 5559 grams / 178.73 ozt

John Moffat (1818-1882) married Jessie Fulton Arthur (1849-1931) on the 18^th Nov 1874. He a justice of the peace and civil engineer (1881 census) was the son of John Moffat (1789-1850).

Ivory Declaration: S4ZBQVXM