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Here we have a handsome Victorian Period Irish Silver Presentation Teapot with Ivory Handle — a deeply civilized object, but one with a martial backstory. Though meant for the tea table, it commemorates service, camaraderie, and departure: presented to Captain Jarvis by officers of the 4th Battalion, 60th Rifles, in Portland in July 1874.
That inscription is important. It places the piece squarely in the great 19th-century tradition of military and civic presentation silver, where useful luxury objects became repositories of memory and status. The form is thoroughly Victorian: fluted lower body, engraved foliate band, and a domed hinged lid with a restrained classical elegance.
The materials tell us plenty. This is sterling silver, with an ivory handle and finial insert — practical as well as fashionable, since ivory resists heat. The underside marks, including West & Son of College Green, Dublin, strongly suggest Irish retailing and likely Dublin assay. The hand-finished engraving and struck marks look convincingly period rather than modern pastiche.
Condition appears very respectable for a working presentation piece: light scratching to the base, expected polishing, and minor surface wear, but nothing visually alarming. Importantly, the wear looks honest, not contrived.
On balance, I’d assign an authenticity score of 90%. As an auction estimate, I’d place it at $1,200 to $2,500 if fully authentic as photographed; as a reproduction or later commemorative copy, more like $250 to $600. A fine example of Victorian silver with inscriptional interest — and those often charm bidders nicely. Charles here, signing off: Let the Mink have a Think!
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Item Report
Victorian Period Irish Silver Presentation Teapot with Ivory Handle
Owner:Danny A.
By:West & Son, College Green, Dublin (retailer); maker not fully resolved from photos
Condition:Very good (period wear, base scratching, polished surface, no obvious major damage visible)
Value:Auction estimate: if authentic period piece, $1,200-$2,500; if later reproduction or heavily altered piece, $250-$600.
Peer-Reviewed Market Values
Dating Range
Pending structured dating
Auction Liquidation
Pending structured market values
Fair Market Value
Pending structured market values
Replacement Value
Pending structured market values
Comparables Used
No saved comparables yet
Research Confidence
Not Run
Peer review completed, but this run did not return structured market value ranges.
Maker's Marks / Writing:Engraved inscription: 'Presented to Captain Jarvis, by the present & late officers of the 4th Battalion 60th Rifles on his leaving the Battalion. Portland. July 1874.' Underside stamped 'WEST & SON COLLEGE GREEN DUBLIN' with multiple hallmarks and letter/number punches.
Date:2026-05-05 08:35:58.667545
Description:
A finely made mid-Victorian presentation teapot of baluster form with vertical fluting, bright-cut and engraved foliate border, hinged domed lid, and carved ivory handle and finial insert. The body is inscribed as a presentation to Captain Jarvis from the officers of the 4th Battalion 60th Rifles, Portland, July 1874. The underside shows multiple hallmarks and the retailer's stamp for West & Son, College Green, Dublin.
Curator Questions
Curated by Jade
Assessment:
This appears to be an authentic 19th-century Irish presentation teapot rather than a later reproduction. The engraved dedication, crisp but period-appropriate fluted body, worn yet consistent polish, and struck underside marks support the date. The retailer stamp for West & Son, College Green, Dublin is a strong clue, and the object reads as a commissioned presentation piece made for military gifting. The ivory handle and finial insert are typical luxury appointments for the period. Some light wear, scratching to the base, and expected polishing are visible, but no glaring signs of fakery are apparent in the photographs.
Individual Images:
front of teapot
back of teapot
detail of inscription
detail of inscription right side
whole teapot three-quarter view
underside of teapot hallmarks
detail of hallmarks
interior of teapot with lid open
detail of lid underside marks
detail of lid underside marks close
Provenance:
No documentary provenance provided beyond the auction-house photographs and the presentation inscription on the object itself.
Condition:
Very good (period wear, base scratching, polished surface, no obvious major damage visible)
Identification Score: 96%
The object's form, inscription, military presentation context, and visible hallmarks make identification as a Victorian Irish silver presentation teapot highly secure.
Authenticity Score: 90%
The hallmarks, retailer stamp, period engraving style, ivory fittings, and honest wear all support authenticity. The main limitation is that the exact assay date letter and maker's mark cannot be fully verified from these photos alone.
Image Memory Note
None
None
Keywords
Victorian Period Irish Silver Presentation Teapot, Victorian presentation silver, Ireland, Dublin, West & Son, sterling silver, military presentation, 60th Rifles, engraved teapot, ivory handle
The report was edited after initial Artmink draft. Original AI draft preserved in Artmink audit history.
Fair Market Value
Pending structured market values
Replacement Value
Pending structured market values
Archived Matches
No archive matches yet
Research Confidence
Narrative peer review only
Peer Review
Key Visible Evidence
The subject item, a silver teapot, exhibits a baluster form with vertical fluting on the lower body and an engraved foliate band above. The inscription 'Presented to Captain Jarvis, by the present & late officers of the 4th Battalion 60th Rifles on his leaving the Battalion. Portland. July 1874.' is clearly visible on the body (Image 1, 3, 4). The handle and finial appear to be carved ivory, consistent with the report's material claims. The underside (Image 6, 7) clearly shows the retailer's stamp 'WEST & SON COLLEGE GREEN DUBLIN'. Multiple hallmarks are also visible: the Hibernia mark (Dublin assay), the Harp Crowned mark (sterling standard), a maker's mark 'TB' in a rectangular punch, a date letter 'T' in a shaped shield, and the Queen Victoria's head duty mark. The overall condition shows expected surface wear and polishing consistent with its age.
Market and Source Support
Grounded sources confirm the Dublin hallmarks: the Hibernia mark for Dublin assay, the Harp Crowned for sterling standard, and the Queen Victoria's head duty mark. The date letter 'T' in a shaped shield corresponds to the Dublin assay year 1874-1875. The maker's mark 'TB' is consistently attributed to Thomas Brady, a known Dublin silversmith active during this period. West & Son, College Green, Dublin, is a well-documented retailer of Irish silver. The combination of these marks and the clear inscription dating the presentation to July 1874 strongly supports the report's dating of 'circa 1874' and Irish origin.
Needs Verification
The report states that the 'maker not fully resolved from photos' and that 'the exact assay date letter and maker's mark cannot be fully verified from these photos alone.' This assessment is overly cautious. The maker's mark 'TB' is clearly visible in Image 7 and can be confidently attributed to Thomas Brady based on standard silver mark references for Dublin. Similarly, the date letter 'T' for 1874-1875 is also clearly discernible in Image 7. While high-resolution macro photography can always provide more detail, the existing images are sufficient for a confident identification of both the maker and the specific assay year.
Audit Conclusion
The report's identification of the object as a Victorian Period Irish Silver Presentation Teapot with an ivory handle, dated circa 1874, is well-supported by visible evidence and grounded sources. The retailer 'West & Son, College Green, Dublin' is confirmed. However, the report's claim that the maker and exact assay date letter are 'not fully resolved' or 'cannot be fully verified' is contradicted by the clear visibility of the 'TB' maker's mark (Thomas Brady) and the Gothic 'T' date letter (1874-1875) in Image 7. These marks provide a more precise attribution than stated in the report. The overall authenticity assessment and condition grade are reasonable and consistent with the visual evidence. The value estimate falls within the range suggested by comparable items, especially considering the specific presentation inscription which can enhance desirability.
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