SILVER CHARITY BOX IN FORM OF TEAPOT Germany, ca. 1900

Oval teapot with hollow tubular handle, gadrooned lower and upper rims; transformed into charity box by replacement of spout with door, and addition of coin slot to stepped lid permanently attached to body. Body bears engraved depictions of acts of charity; on front, a woman gives alms to a cripple; on reverse, assistance is offered to a mother with children. Top of lid engraved in Hebrew “Charity delivereth from Death;” around lower rim of lid, engraved in Yiddish: “Help support orphans and widows, the elderly, weak, sick, and fallen.” Door engraved with appropriate Biblical verse (Ecclesiastes 11:1) Marked on base. H: 115mm.

An excellent example of the sanctification of an object of daily use. The use of an elegant silver vessel for collecting charity speaks to the good intentions of the prosperous owner, who also gave the silversmith the opportunity to create whimsical images which enliven the object while dramatising its purpose.