Antique tea-for-one silver teapot

Pretty and decorative late-Victorian silver bachelor teapot whose body, lid and spout are prettily and profusely embossed with panels of foliage The handle and finial are carved from fruitwood, probably apple or pear.

The silver bachelor teapot is simply a smaller version of a full-size teapot, but intended for one person. Occasionally mistaken as part of a child's tea service, they are deliberately petite and were created long before the advent of the tea bag!

A silver teapot pours like no other:

Sterling silver is the perfect material for fashioning teapots:

· No other material can be fashioned into such elegant and detailed forms, reflect light as beautifully, and a perfectly formed silver teapot spout will never drip.

· Second only to diamonds, silver has the highest thermal conductivity of any material, meaning that tea leaves can be brewed at a higher temperature than in any other teapot, allowing the tea leaves to fully release their flavours.

· That same high thermal conductivity means a silver teapot will retain heat and keep tea hot for much longer.

· Unlike porcelain and ceramic teapots, silver is sturdy and long-lasting, does not shatter and the occasional dent can be debruised.