Dutch silver Louis XIV coffee pot with tap

From 1700 onwards Cornelis van Dyck worked in the fashionable court style of The Hague. He received commissions from a number of wealthy high-ranking Hague patrons. The usual superlatives are unnecessary in presenting this coffeepot: its merits will be immediately recognizable by aficionados.

Small ornamental motifs have been applied to the smooth surface of this urn. The urn-shaped coffeepot represents a typical Dutch variant of the international Louis XIV court style. This style is characterized by solid symmetrical shapes and a clear structure that is emphasized in heavy mouldings. Both shapes and ornamentation were inspired by classical architecture.