Dresser kettle and stand
- Audio guide stop: 473
- Gallery: Room 47
- Maker: Christopher Dresser
- Made in: Birmingham (West Midlands); London (England)
- Date: 1878 (designed); 1878-1900 (made;circa)
- Object type: kettle, kettle-stand, kettle-burner
- Materials: metal; silver; wood (ebonised)
- Museum number: 1980,1111.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
This is a dresser kettle and stand designed by Christopher Dresser in 1878. Before you is a cone-shaped kettle with a distinctive ebonized wooden handle and a push-on lid. The stand features three legs that support a triangular plate for the burner, which also includes a matching ebonized handle. The entire setup is made of electroplated metal, with silver highlights and finely detailed craftsmanship.
You can see the maker's marks at the base of each piece: a “H & H” trademark with an eagle and a date of 1878. The kettle is also marked “Designed by DR Christopher Dresser,” acknowledging his creative role. Dresser, a Scottish designer known for blending function and form, worked with the London firm Hukin & Heath to produce this set. The ebonized wood contrasts beautifully with the metallic surfaces, showcasing the era's fascination with both industrial and natural materials.
See it in person
Dresser kettle and stand is on display in Room 47 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 473, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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