An Introduction to Pewter Forms and Designs
 

Some pewter forms can be further distinguished by types or names given to various, specific designs. Below common porringer handles oil lamp fonts  and teapots are illustrated.

 

American Porringer Handle Designs

Shown below are the six American porringer handle designs most commonly found, as illustrated in Ebert's, Collecting American Pewter .

 

CROWN

OLD ENGLISH

FLOWERED

HEARTS & CRESCENT

SOLID OR TAB PA TYPE

SOLID OR TAB RI TYPE

Oil Lamp Burners and Font Designs

There are three basic types of oil lamp burners: Whale oil, illustrated below left; Camphene, illustrated below center; and the less commonly found Lard-oil, illustrated below right.  Of note are the "snuffers" found attached to the Camphene lamps. Frequently referred to as snuffers, the caps were actually used to prevent evaporation of the camphene fluid when not in use and  additionally used as snuffers

Common Lamp Font Designs

Lamp burners and fonts illustrated are as shown in Ebert's Collecting American Pewter.

American Teapot & Coffee Pot Forms
18th century teapots 19th century teapots coffee pots

 

Eighteenth Century Teapot Forms
(All have wooden handles)

Globular or Egg-shaped

Francis & Frederick Bassett

Queen Anne

Fred. Bassett, the Wills, Bradford, T. Danforth II, Love, Wm. Kirby

Queen Anne w/feet

Wm. Will, Bradford, Alberti

Drum-shaped

Wm. Will, Parks Boyd, Love

Nineteenth Century Forms

(Most have metal handles but see below)

Queen Anne revival

Wm.Calder, Sam.Danforth, Boardmans, Sam. Pierce

Q. A. revival w/extended foot

Geo. Richardson, J. B. Woodbury

Drum-shaped

Tim. Brigden, Wm Calder

Oval or Boat-shaped w/feet

Israel Trask, W. Potter, Geo.Coldwell
(Made with both wood & metal handles)

Tall Q. A. revival

Sam. Pierce, Boardmans, Sam Kilbourn

Inverted Mold
(Top and bottom halves cast in same Mold)

Many makers, many variations

Pigeon-brested

Roswell Gleason & others
(Made with both wood & metal handles)

Reed & Barton type

(Made with both wood & metal handles)

American Coffee Pot Forms

Federal Form

Wm. Will & other Phil. Makers
(The only 18th century coffee pot form & have wooden handles)

Lighthouse

Israel Trask, Wm. Calder, others
(Made with both wood & metal handles)
(Shortened versions of this form were used as teapots)

Tall Coffee Pot

Many makers, many variations
(Have metal handles)