Coffee Pot
Ashbil Griswold, Connecticut, early 19th century
Pewter, 10 ½ inches tall

A baluster form coffee pot with black painted metal handle, hinged cover, and circular-form foot, the inside of flat, inset bottom struck with circular touch mark of “A. GRISWOLD” with spreadwing eagle, body facing right and head turned left. Excellent condition with some expected minor denting to lower portion of body.

Ashbil Griswold (1783-1853) was active from 1808-1842. Griswold trained with Thomas Danforth III as a pewterer and opened a shop in Meriden in 1808 and expanded into producing britannia wares at an early date, establishing Meriden as a major manufacturing center of pewter, britannia and plated goods. He was one of the founding partners of the Meriden Britannia Co. in 1852. Examples of Griswold’s work are in the collections of Winterthur, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History.

$425