Paul Storr was a leading Regency silversmith and the design of this elegant serpent handled tea and coffee service was one of the most popular marketed by the firm, Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, who retailed his work. They supplied silver to the Prince Regent as well as other notable aristocratic families. The circular teapot in this set is modelled in the form of an ancient Roman lamp, reflecting the influence of classical antiquity on English silver design. The set is typical of Storr’s Regency style and features classical motifs such as gadrooning, bands of palmettes and egg-and-dart patterns.
The service was owned by William Montagu, 5th Duke of Manchester. Montagu held office as Governor of Jamaica for nineteen years from 1808, where he prepared the colony for the emancipation of enslaved people. The tea set remained at his home, Kimbolton Castle, until the 20th century. A very similar set by Storr exists today in the Gilbert Collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
