The kettle, burner and stand were designed by Christopher Dresser and made by Hukin and Heath in England in 1878.

Kettle and burner on stand, electroplated silver / wood, designed by Christopher Dresser, made by Hukin and Heath, England, 1878

Kettle and burner on a stand, electroplated silver, with incised Japanesque decoration, in the style of the Aesthetic Movement, and wooden mounts. The kettle is constructed with hard soldered joints and riveted appendages from a copper base metal and electroplated with silver. It is of a compressed globular form and is raised on a low, straight sided basal ring, the sides are well rounded and rise to a flaring gallery which encircles the opening at the top. The lid is recessed below the gallery and is book hinged on one side. The lid is domed in profile and screw set with a solid pill finial. The angular, elbow-shaped spout projects from the front of the kettle at mid-body. The high bar handle is rivet-fixed at upper body both front and rear, the metal supports of the handle follow the waist and flare of the gallery, and are screw mounted with a straight wooden handgrip. The kettle features freely incised Japanesque decoration around the girth of the body, with a continuous design of stylised oriental plants interspersed with flying butterflies and one small bird. The lid is similarly decorated with a plant and butterfly design encircling the knop.

The kettle is elevated on a tripod stand with each of the tapering metal legs featuring an outward splayed 'crow's' foot. The legs rise to a rivet-fixed convex-sided ring at top which serves as a support for the kettle. This ring has two twin-tongued pierced mounts at front and rear which correspond with similar mounts adjacent to the basel ring of the kettle and permit secure attachment of the kettle to the stand by means of two bayonet pins which hang from the stand on chains. A flat triangular shelf with a central circular aperture connects the three legs just above the feet and serves as a rest for the spirit burner.

The spirit burner is a flattened bulbous form with a straight-sided basal ring and a short straight-sided collar encircling the opening at top, the burner has a short wooden handle extending from an upward angled mount at one side. The extinguisher or snuffer is missing.

Designer: Dresser, Christopher; England

Maker: Hukin & Heath; England; 1878

On base of kettle [maker's] mark '(illeg.)' within four linked circles
Stamped on base of spirit burner, kite-shaped Design Registration Mark for 1878
Tripod stand: no marks

91/1065

275 mm

223 mm

170 mm