Pot à lait. Gand. 1787. Maître-orfèvre Nicolas... Lot n° 176

Milk pot. Ghent. 1787. Silversmith Nicolas Joseph Viette (1733-?, working 1773-1798). Silver marks: crowned NV (master mark Nicolas Viette); helmet (city hallmark Ghent); crowned G (city hallmark Ghent); 87 (year marks 1787). Supplementary mark of the Belgian import mark in use from 1832 to 1869. Proof stitch. In the absence of effective preservation techniques, milk was mainly processed into butter and cheese until the 18th century. Very fresh milk was reserved primarily for young children, the sick and the elderly. From the 18th century, milk became, in well-to-do circles, a very normal beverage and was mainly used for coffee with milk and hot chocolate, which were particularly appreciated at breakfast. Around 1720, small jugs were made specifically for pouring milk. At that time, they were not made to match the other objects used for coffee and were not even manufactured by the same manufacturer. It was waiting until the 19th century before the coffee and tea sets were marketed as a pair. (Source: Domaine du château de Seneffe, https://chateaudeseneffe.be/nl/collectie/melkpot-voor-het-ontbijt) H.: 17 cm Weight: 358 g