Coffeepot 1797 - 1800

This coffeepot was made by Christian Wiltberger, probably in Philadelphia, sometime around the turn of the 19th century. It’s crafted from silver and sports a wooden handle. Objects like this speak volumes about the cultural aspirations of the early American Republic. The neoclassical shape is self-consciously elegant, meant to align the new nation with the refined tastes of Europe. But topping the lid, we see an American bald eagle, a clear signal of patriotic sentiment and the new country's burgeoning identity. The coffeepot is also engraved with monograms. These initials tell us that the piece was likely commissioned for a wealthy family. The silversmith’s work reflects the social hierarchies of the time and the way that elite families used objects like this to display their status. The object can tell us much, but it is the historian that can place it in its social and political context through a wide study of primary sources and institutional records.