Sponsor sought to keep silver collection intact

National Museum silver holdings could be transformed to world-class by acquisition.

THE inverted pear-shaped teapot, illustrated above, is unique in Cork silver. It is the only known teapot of this shape with a lobed, compressed-baluster body with stylised fans and husks, applied with a turned-wooden leaf-capped loop handle; the hinged cover with conforming decoration and disc finial is raised on a circular foot.

Stamped to the base with Walshe, SW and Sterling, and with scratch weight of 23 oz 2dwts including wooden handle.