Curriculum Materials: Art in America Image 5 Paul Revere (1735-1818) Templeman Tea Service Key Points Essays: Tea About the Artist About this Object Neoclassical Style Tea Caddy Detail Questions: Look Questions Think Questions Templeman Tea Service Boston resident John Templeman COMMISSIONED this tea service, part of a larger order, from the Revere workshop. The service includes a teapot, tea caddy, sugar urn, cream pot, sugar tongs, tea shell, and strainer1. (The location of the strainer made for this set is unknown. The strainer shown here was made by Revere's workshop, but not for this service.) Since few people could afford to own complete tea services like this one, they were rare and highly valued. Silversmiths in Revere's workshop melted down coin silver (silver melted down from coins and therefore slightly less pure than sterling) to make this tea service. They formed the teapot and tea caddy from rolled sheets of silver, which they then riveted at the seams. The smiths shaped the sugar urn and cream pot with a hammer, using a technique called RAISING. They created FLUTES in the walls of the vessels to add strength to the thin silver and as an essential NEOCLASSICAL design element. To the Teacher ~ Introduction ~ Timeline ~ Artwork Index ~ Categories for Comparison ~ Glossary ~ How to Order ~ Your Comments 1. The location of the strainer made for this set is unknown. The strainer shown here was made by Revere's workshop, but not for this service. Top of Page