"Boule" Teapot

Designer Lino Sabattini, Italian (1925-?)

Maker Christofle of France (established 1830)

Dateca. 1950

MediumSilver plate

DimensionsOverall: 4 3/4 × 11 × 8 inches (12 × 28 × 20.3 cm)

CultureFrench

ClassificationsMetalwork

Credit LineGift of Isabel and William Berley, Classes of 1947 and 1945

Terms

Metalwork
Vessel
Vessels - Pots
French

Object number99.078.119

Label CopyWHERE WAS IT MADE? The teapot was manufactured by Christofle, which began operations in France in the 1830s. WHO WAS THE ARTIST? Lino Sabattini (b.1925) is an Italian silversmith who worked in the modernist style. In the 1950s he became director of design at the Christofle silver company and contributed his own designs for flatware and other decorative arts. HOW WAS IT MADE? This teapot is made from silver plated metal. Silver plate or plating is a process involving an electrical current used to deposit a thin layer of silver onto an article or vessel made of a base metal like copper or nickel silver. The process was developed in the 1830s and was patented by Elkington & Co. around 1836. It made silver objects more affordable for many middle-class families. HOW WAS IT USED? This teapot is part of a coffee and tea set manufactured by Christofle around 1950. The set originally consisted of a coffee and teapot, sugar and creamer, tongs, and tray. WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THIS? The word boule is French for ‘ball’ and no doubt refers to the bulbous, round shape of the teapot. Sabattini won acclaim for his modern designs with their nebulous, futuristic shapes.

Collections