An American Silver Teapot, Asa Blansett, Dumfries, VA, circa 1795

oval with straight sides and applied beaded borders, engraved with foliate script initial D within a bright-cut and engraved oval reserve, pierced gallery, the lift-off domed cover with pineapple finial

Sold, Christie's, New York, 21 January 1994, lot 110

minor dings, good condition
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Asa Blansett first appears in 1794 among those forming a volunteer company of infantry at Dumfries, a town along the Potomac south of Washington, D.C., which was a major tobacco shipping point in the third quarter of the 18th century. The following year he advertised as a "Gold, Silversmith, and Jeweller," sharing the information that he had recently returned from Philadelphia and New York to improve his skills. His shop was on Main Street, "at the Stone Bridge," Dumfries (see George Barton Cutten, Silversmiths of Virginia, p. 33).